Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2010 is:

chastise • \chass-TYZE\ • verb
1 : to inflict punishment on (as by whipping) *2 : to censure severely : castigate


Example sentence:
The boss eventually had to chastise certain employees for being consistently late.


Did you know?
"Chastise," "castigate," "chasten," "correct," "discipline," and "punish" all imply the infliction of a penalty in return for wrongdoing. "Chastise" often applies to verbal censure or denunciation ("he chastised his son for neglecting his studies"). "Castigate" usually implies a severe, typically public censure ("an editorial castigating the entire city council"), while "chasten" suggests any affliction or trial that leaves someone humbled or subdued ("chastened by a landslide election defeat"). "Correct" implies punishment aimed at reforming an offender ("the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer"), and "discipline," a punishment or chastisement intended to bring a wrongdoer under control ("parents disciplining their children"). Finally, "punish" implies the imposition of a penalty for a misdeed ("punished for stealing").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.




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