Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: chaste 'to chasten' (12-17 centuries), from Old French chastier, from Latin castigare; CASTIGATE

chasten

 verb
     
chas‧ten [transitive usually passive] formal
to make someone realize that their behaviour was wrong or mistaken:
Party workers have returned to their home towns, chastened by their overwhelming defeat.
—chastening adjective:
a chastening experience
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary