Word a Day
castigate
What does castigate mean?
castigate (verb): to punish or reprimand someone severely.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you pronounce castigate?
/ˈkæstəˌɡeɪt/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does castigate come from?
First attested in the beginning of the 17th century; borrowed from Latin castīgātus, perfect passive participle of castīgō (“to reprove”), from castus (“pure, chaste”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱes- (“to cut”).
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Test yourself: do you know “castigate”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “castigate” mean?
to copy or imitate, especially a person
Not quite: that's what emulate means.
to punish or reprimand someone severely
Right! That's what “castigate” means.
to brace, reinforce, secure, or support
Not quite: that's what bolster means.
to call by a distinctive title; to name
Not quite: that's what designate means.
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