What does castigate mean?
Word: Castigate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Castigate means to tell someone very sternly that they have done wrong.
Synonyms: berate
How do you spell castigate?
Syllables: cas - ti - gate
Tricky part: The vowel in the middle is weak in speech and may come out as an e. It is an i.
Watch out for: castegate, casteegate
Memory tip: Stern words have a sharp sting, and the sti of sting sits in the middle of this word.
Castigate in a sentence
Example 1: Newspapers castigated the team for its careless fielding.
Example 2: The chairman castigated the committee for ignoring the safety report on the old stadium roof.
Example 3: The review castigated the film for its dull and muddled plot.
Fun Fact
The Latin verb behind it meant to correct or put right, so the word has always carried the idea of setting someone straight.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
One of these words is misspelt. Choose what it means.
1. miniture 2. manoeuvre 3. castigate 4. questionnaire
a) to tell off in the harshest terms
b) a printed list of questions
c) very small of its kind
d) a skilful movement needing care
Show answer
c) very small of its kind. Miniature keeps an a after the i, and the list has dropped it.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word castigate as used in the sentence:
The coach chose not to castigate the young players and spoke of their courage instead.
a) rebuke
b) reprimand
c) scold
d) praise
Show answer
d) praise. Praise is what the coach gave instead; the other words all mean telling someone off.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters to find the word that fits the sentence:
Good teachers rarely ttscegaia a pupil in front of the whole class.
a) instigate
b) motivate
c) investigate
d) castigate
Show answer
d) castigate. A c and no n rule out every other option.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
c_stig_te
a) u,a
b) o,a
c) a,a
d) a,e
Show answer
c) a,a. The same vowel fills both gaps.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which line would you expect from a report that castigates a council?
a) "The work will begin next month, as agreed."
b) "The work was described at the annual meeting."
c) "The work was finished early and well within budget."
d) "The work was late, poorly planned and badly run."
Show answer
d) "The work was late, poorly planned and badly run."
2. If a minister is castigated in the press, the articles are likely to be
a) strictly factual
b) mildly amusing
c) quite short
d) highly unfavourable
Show answer
d) highly unfavourable
