MEANING
To make someone less proud or self-assured through rebuke, failure, or a sobering experience.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- chasten a boastful person
- chastened by defeat
On the page
The defeat chastened him more than any lecture had done.
She returned chastened by the indifference of the crowd.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- chasten
- Past tense
- chastened
- Past participle
- chastened
- Present participle
- chastening
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- chasten
- Present continuous
- am/is/are chastening
- Present perfect
- have/has chastened
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been chastening
- Past
- chastened
- Past continuous
- was/were chastening
- Past perfect
- had chastened
- Past perfect continuous
- had been chastening
- Future
- will chasten
- Future continuous
- will be chastening
- Future perfect
- will have chastened
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been chastening
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: chasten; chastens; chastened; chastened; chastening Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: chastens.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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