admonish

[ ad-mon-ish ]
See synonyms for: admonishadmonishedadmonishingadmonisher on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to caution, advise, or counsel against something.

  2. to reprove or scold, especially in a mild and good-willed manner: The teacher admonished him about excessive noise.

  1. to urge to a duty; remind: to admonish them about their obligations.

Origin of admonish

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; late Middle English admonish, amonesche, admonesse, amoness, Middle English a(d)monest (with -t later taken as past participle suffix), from Anglo-French, Old French amonester, from Vulgar Latin admonestāre (unrecorded), apparently derivative of Latin admonēre “to remind, give advice to” (source of -est- is uncertain), equivalent to ad- ad- + monēre “to remind, warn”; cf. monitor

synonym study For admonish

1. See warn. 2. See reprimand.

Other words for admonish

Other words from admonish

  • ad·mon·ish·er, noun
  • ad·mon·ish·ing·ly, adverb
  • ad·mon·ish·ment, noun
  • pre·ad·mon·ish, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use admonish in a sentence

  • And he gave me a severe and admonishing look before going off on another and more urgent call that waited him.

    Tramping on Life | Harry Kemp
  • Jerry nodded an admonishing head in the direction from whence the musical sounds had come.

  • And so I lay and watched and envied her and them, admonishing sand hoppers between whiles.

  • Those sudden pangs of the body seemed like over-forward confessors abruptly admonishing him.

    Under the Rose | Frederic Stewart Isham
  • “Ruth,” she changed, as the Flying W girl held up an admonishing finger.

    The Range Boss | Charles Alden Seltzer

British Dictionary definitions for admonish

admonish

/ (ədˈmɒnɪʃ) /


verb(tr)
  1. to reprove firmly but not harshly

  2. to advise to do or against doing something; warn; caution

Origin of admonish

1
C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin admonestāre (unattested), from Latin admonēre to put one in mind of, from monēre to advise

Derived forms of admonish

  • admonisher or admonitor, noun
  • admonition (ˌædməˈnɪʃən), noun
  • admonitory, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012