admonished

[ad-mon-isht] / ædˈmɒn ɪʃt /

VERB

warn, strongly criticize

Synonyms

STRONGEST

advise berate censure chide enjoin exhort rebuke reprimand scold upbraid warn

STRONG

check counsel ding forewarn glue growl hoist notice rap reprove

WEAK

call down call on the carpet come down hard on draw the line give a going over give a piece of one's mind jack up rap on knuckles sit on slap on wrist speak to talk to tell a thing or two tell off

Antonyms

STRONGEST

allow compliment flatter laud permit praise

WEAK

applaud approve commend extol

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The court admonished the government and ordered it to pay legal expenses to the information commissioner.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Connolly has been admonished three times by the California Commission on Judicial Performance, most recently in 2021, for two incidents.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

“If you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful. You’ve got to make sure it’s anchored in the truth,” he admonished the pontiff.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

They did hear testimony from an anti–death penalty lawyer who was admonished for testing DNA on a water bottle without the person’s permission.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

We’re admonished to say, “I want a cookie,” not “Me want a cookie.”

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner