Basic Details
Word: Admonish
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To tell someone firmly that they have done wrong, or to warn them firmly not to do something.
Synonyms: scold, reprimand, warn, rebuke
Antonyms: praise, commend
Word origin: Comes from Latin admonere, to remind or warn, from ad, to, and monere, to warn.
How to Spell Admonish
Syllables: ad - mon - ish
Tricky part: The middle is mon, not man or min, and both the m and the n are single.
Watch out for: admonnish, admanish, addmonish
Memory tip: Read it as ad + mon + ish. A class monitor might admonish noisy pupils, and the two words really are related: both come from a Latin verb meaning to warn.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The librarian admonished us for talking loudly.
Example 2: Grandma gently admonished me for skipping breakfast.
Example 3: The referee admonished the player before showing him a yellow card.
Fun Fact
The Latin monere also gave English the word monster: a monstrum was a strange event that people took as a warning.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word admonish as used in the sentence:
The principal had to admonish the boys who ran in the corridor during the fire drill.
a) reward
b) reprimand
c) ignore
d) praise
Show answer
b) reprimand. To reprimand is to tell someone off formally, which is what admonish means.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
The coach had to hmsdniao the team for arriving late to practice.
a) diminish
b) astonish
c) demolish
d) admonish
Show answer
d) admonish. Astonish needs a t, diminish two more i's, and demolish an e and an l, none of which the jumble has.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
adm_n_sh
a) o, e
b) i, i
c) o, i
d) a, i
Show answer
c) o, i. An o sits after the m, and the ending is the ish of finish.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A teacher who admonishes a student is ____.
a) lending them a book
b) telling them a story
c) giving them a prize
d) warning them firmly
Show answer
d) warning them firmly
2. Which reaction is closest to admonishing?
a) a warm hug
b) a long nap
c) a loud cheer
d) a stern word
Show answer
d) a stern word
