Castigate
/ˈkæstɪˌɡeɪt/
verbC2
Definition
To castigate someone means to speak very seriously and angrily to them about something wrong they did, or to punish them in a strong way. It is more severe than normal criticism and often shows strong disapproval.
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⚡ See It in Action
To strongly criticize or punish someone for bad behavior
- •The teacher castigated the student for cheating on the exam.
- •The manager castigated the employee for missing the deadline.
- •Parents sometimes castigate children to teach them right from wrong.
To express strong disapproval in words
- •The editor castigated the writer for the poor quality of the article.
- •The coach castigated the team after their poor performance.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "castigate" like "scold" (A2 word), but much stronger and more serious, like a teacher giving a very strict warning
- ✓Picture a strict judge or teacher pointing a finger and speaking loudly to someone who made a big mistake
- ✓It feels like the moment when you know you are in big trouble and someone is very unhappy with you
- ✓Sounds like "CAST-igate" → imagine throwing (casting) a heavy net of words to catch and punish someone
- ✓Think of stories where a character is punished by a king or leader for breaking important rules
- ✓NOT like "praise" (say good things), castigate is about strong negative words or punishment
- ✓NOT like "advise" (give gentle advice), castigate is harsh and serious criticism
- ✓NOT like "criticize" (can be mild), castigate is very strong and severe criticism or punishment
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Criticize: say what is wrong (Use when the criticism is clear but less severe)
- •Rebuke: speak angrily to someone for a mistake (Use when you want a strong but not very formal punishment)
- •Punish: cause someone to suffer for bad behavior (Use when physical or formal penalties happen)
- •Reprimand: officially tell someone they did wrong (Use in formal or work situations)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix: none
- •Root: "castig-" from Latin "castigare" meaning "to correct, punish"
- •Suffix: "-ate" used to make verbs
- •Etymology: From Latin, where it meant to correct or punish someone to improve their behavior
- •Historical development: Used since the 1500s in English to mean harsh punishment or criticism
- •Modern usage: Mostly used in formal or literary language to describe strong criticism or punishment
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can castigation ever be helpful, or is it always harmful? When might strong criticism be necessary?
•How does castigate differ from everyday criticism in your culture or language?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The coach castigated the players because they ___ the game by not trying hard.
2.When a leader castigates someone, it usually means the person ___ serious mistakes.
3.Unlike gentle advice, to castigate someone is to ___ them strongly.
4.After the mistake, the manager did not praise but ___ the employee.
5.People often feel ___ when they are castigated in front of others.
6.You would not use castigate for small problems, only for ___ behavior.
7.The teacher castigated the student ___ cheating on the test.