admonish · verb — to inform or notify of a fault; to rebuke in a serious tone; to tell off. It carries an Arena rating of 1772, earned across 43 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, admonish ranks #1,265 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #3,666 of 17,165 for Most Satisfying to Say, #4,018 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words, #4,919 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words.
admonish is pronounced /ədˈmɒn.ɪʃ/.
Why “admonish” is a great word
ADMONISH — [Verb] To warn or reprimand someone firmly, especially in a gentle or earnest manner. From Latin admonēre ("to remind, warn"), from ad- ("to") + monēre ("to warn, advise"). First recorded in English in the late 14th century. Unlike "rebuke," which carries the sharp, clean cut of anger, or "chide," which is the light flick for a minor lapse, to admonish is to counsel with the earnest pressure of a hand on a forearm, the low and urgent timbre of a voice before a misstep, or the scent of impending rain that prompts you to close the window. It is the quiet gravity of prevention, a small weight placed in the path of a larger fall.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English a(d)monisshen (adapted through -ishen (“-ish”) from earlier amonesten), from Old French amonester (modern French admonester), from an unattested Late Latin or Vulgar Latin *admonestāre, from Latin admoneō (“to remind, warn”), from ad- + moneō (“to warn, advise”).
verb
- To inform or notify of a fault; to rebuke in a serious tone; to tell off.e.g.“Better is a poore and a wise child, then an old and foolish king who will no more be admonished.” — 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 4:13:
- To advise against wrongdoing; to caution; to warn against danger or an offense.
- To instruct or direct.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.