Basic Details
Word: Chastisement
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A severe scolding or punishment for doing something wrong.
Synonyms: punishment, scolding, reprimand, rebuke
Antonyms: praise, reward
How to Spell Chastisement
Syllables: chas - tise - ment
Tricky part: The e of chastise stays before ment. The middle vowel is i: chas-tise, not chas-tes.
Watch out for: chastisment, chastesement, chastisemant
Memory tip: Chastise keeps its e when ment is added, just as advertise keeps it in advertisement.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The boy accepted his father's chastisement in silence.
Example 2: After a sharp chastisement from the coach, the team trained harder.
Example 3: Her chastisement was mild: no television for one evening.
Fun Fact
Chastise comes from Latin castigare, 'to correct', which also gave English castigate, another word for scolding someone severely.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
chasttisement
a) s
b) t
c) m
d) i
Show answer
b) t. Chastise has a single t, the same as castigate, its Latin cousin.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word chastisement as used in the sentence:
The careless driver received a public chastisement from the traffic officer.
a) scolding
b) praise
c) reproof
d) rebuke
Show answer
b) praise. Chastisement is a telling-off for doing wrong; praise is what you get for doing well.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. obedience 2. apology 3. forgiveness 4. chastisment
a) stopping being angry with someone who did wrong
b) a severe scolding or punishment
c) doing what one is told
d) a statement saying sorry
Show answer
b) a severe scolding or punishment. Chastisment has lost the e of chastise; the other three are correct.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Someone who receives chastisement has most likely ____.
a) won a prize
b) finished early
c) done something wrong
d) helped a friend
Show answer
c) done something wrong
2. Which verb is closest in meaning to chastise?
a) thank
b) invite
c) praise
d) scold
Show answer
d) scold
