Admonish

To admonish is to scold. If you want to show someone you're not happy with his behavior, admonish him. It sounds better than "scolding," and it's less painful than spanking.

  • Pronunciation: /əd'mɑnɪʃi/
  • English Description: notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
  • Chinese Translation: 劝诫(quan4 jie4)
  • Spanish Translation: amonestar
  • STORY: Coming to English through Old French from the Latin admonere "to advise, remind," admonish is always used with an eye on improving someone's behavior. The exact meaning of this formal verb varies in intensity depending generally on who is being corrected. If a child or subordinate is being admonished, it means "scold" or "rebuke" whereas if someone admonishes a person with equal standing, warnor advise are closer synonyms.

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

  • “If you don’t appreciate the fact that we defend you night and day, tell us,” admonished Rice.
  • The report summarizing the investigation includes eight findings admonishing the conduct of Dolezal, who chaired the commission, and of fellow commissioners.

*New word description, story and part of "EXAMPLE SENTENCE" are cited in Vocabulary.com