chastise means to punish, especially by corporal punishment. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 74 out of 100.
chastise is pronounced /tʃæˈstaɪz/.
Why “chastise” is a great word
CHASTISE — [Verb] To punish, especially by corporal means, or to scold or censure severely. From Middle English chastisen, from Old French chastier ("to punish, discipline"), from Latin castīgō ("to correct, reprove"), from castus ("pure") + agō ("to do, make"). First recorded in English 1275–1325. Unlike "chasten," which seeks moral improvement through tempering, or "reprimand," which delivers a formal, official rebuke, to chastise carries the unvarnished threat of the lash within its verbal scorn. It is the schoolmaster's cane whistling through air, the blistering tone that leaves a room silent, the cold correction meant to scour the soul—a brutal making-pure that mistakes severity for virtue.
Etymology
From Middle English chastisen, from Old French chastier, from Latin castīgō. See also the doublets chasten and castigate and cf. also chaste.
verb
- To punish, especially by corporal punishment.“And now whereas my father did lade you with a heauy yoke, I wil adde to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whippes, but I will chastise you with scorpions.”
- To castigate; to scold or censure.“She feels definitely that Lung Shing is her town, and is not hesitant to chastise people who she thinks are not behaving properly—such as, for example, a woman using loud, vulgar language on the street—although in so doing she may only turn the direction of abuse on herself.”