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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

castigate

Verb

IPA /ˈkæstɪɡeɪt/

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Meaning in plain English

To criticise someone or something very severely.

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Pronunciation

castigate/ˈkæstɪɡeɪt/

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  1. A leader makes a serious error

  2. A commentator criticises it severely

  3. The criticism is harsh and public

To castigate someone is to criticise them very severely.

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Examples in context

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  1. The columnist castigated people who left litter in the park.
  2. The reviewer castigated the report for its careless use of evidence.

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To criticise someone or something very severely.
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castigate — To criticise someone or something very severely.

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To criticise someone or something very severely.

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Word origin

From Latin castigare, meaning to reprove, related to castus, meaning pure.

Did you know?

Castigate someone for something identifies the reason for the criticism.

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castigate

/ˈkæstɪɡeɪt/ (Verb)

“Castigate is formal and strong. It means much more than offering a mild correction.”

englishskillstudio.com