Synonym Chooser

How does the verb admonish contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of admonish are chide, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, and reprove. While all these words mean "to criticize adversely," admonish suggests earnest or friendly warning and counsel.

admonished by my parents to control expenses

Where would rebuke be a reasonable alternative to admonish?

The words rebuke and admonish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rebuke suggests a sharp or stern reproof.

the papal letter rebuked dissenting clerics

When is it sensible to use reprimand instead of admonish?

While in some cases nearly identical to admonish, reprimand implies a severe, formal, often public or official rebuke.

reprimanded by the ethics committee

How are the words reproach and chide related as synonyms of admonish?

Both reproach and chide suggest displeasure or disappointment expressed in mild reproof or scolding.

reproached him for tardiness
chided by their mother for untidiness

When is reprove a more appropriate choice than admonish?

The words reprove and admonish can be used in similar contexts, but reprove implies an often kindly intent to correct a fault.

gently reproved my table manners

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of admonish At public meetings for approving such rate hikes, unhappy ratepayers regularly rail against the company and admonish utility regulators. Calmatters, Mercury News, 24 June 2025 In very unhinged behavior, Lucy tracks Sophie down (after her boss expressly tells her the client doesn't want any contact whatsoever), and unsurprisingly, Sophie admonishes her for invading her privacy in an attempt to absolve her feelings of guilt. Aisha Harris, NPR, 21 June 2025 Judge Arun Subramanian angrily admonished the defense team and demanded Combs stop making faces at the jury, or else he would be kicked out of court. Nbc News, NBC news, 5 June 2025 Following the jury exiting the court for a 15-minute break, Judge Arun Subramanian had to admonish Agnifilo for suggesting that the jury would speculate as to why federal prosecutors made certain charging decisions against Combs during his closing salvo. Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for admonish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for admonish
Verb
  • Officer Juan Gonzalez, a 12-year Miami Gardens police veteran, described being reprimanded for speaking to other Hispanic officers at a crime scene.
    Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
  • Ruben is sailing across the Atlantic with them (which Duncan rightfully reprimands him for later – like really, who brings a small child across the ocean in a sailboat?).
    Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Royal protocol advises that George will no longer be allowed to fly with his father, Prince William.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2025
  • According to Jim Glenn, a lecturer at Yale who advised a student doing cribbage research, the key to making this work was by selectively shrinking the number of outcomes for the computer to search.
    Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.
    Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
  • But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.
    EW.com, EW.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Last month state immigration advocates warned that arrests of undocumented immigrants were ramping up in the state, creating anxiety and fear in communities with people taken every day.
    Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
  • The National Weather Service discussion on Monday morning warned that extreme heat conditions would continue in the region as a high-pressure center lingers.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • Rather than opt for a two-year extension of the current lease, which has been criticized by some residents since it was signed in 1997, the Bengals and the county agreed on a new 11-year lease.
    Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 2 Aug. 2025
  • The news comes as Timberlake finishes his two-year Forget Tomorrow World Tour, during which his recent performances had been criticized for being less lively than usual.
    Amber Brenza, Health, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Apple engineers would teach these suppliers, competing suppliers for different components, how to do quality manufacturing on a huge scale.
    Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2025
  • Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists Most of the religious cases Richard Garnett teaches in his classes at the University of Notre Dame Law School involve smaller religious communities, including Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Garza blamed this in part on the county’s failure to provide legal representation at bail hearings for defendants.
    Skye Seipp, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
  • Trump has blamed India's high tariffs on imports for the trade deficit.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 30 July 2025
Verb
  • Last week, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat, chided Anjani Sinha, the nominee to be ambassador to Singapore, for his lack of knowledge about the country.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
  • Trump quickly defended Bondi and chided a reporter for asking about the documents.
    Dan Gooding Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Admonish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/admonish. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.

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