Meaning & use
admonish
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitiveformal
To tell someone firmly but calmly that they have done something wrong.
Grammar: Takes an object: admonish the child. Often with for: admonish him for being late.
Patterns
- admonish someone for something
- admonish someone about something
The teacher admonished the students for talking during the test.
He gently admonished his son for forgetting to call.
The judge admonished the lawyer about her tone.
verbtransitiveformalold-fashioned
To advise or urge someone seriously to do something or to be careful.
Grammar: Often followed by to and a verb, or by a that clause.
Patterns
- admonish someone to do something
- admonish someone that
The guide admonished the hikers to stay on the path.
The doctor admonished him to rest for a week.
She admonished her friends that the ice was thin.
Word forms
| third person singular | admonishes |
|---|---|
| past tense | admonished |
| past participle | admonished |
| -ing form | admonishing |
Common combinations
- admonish someone for
- The coach admonished the player for his attitude.
- gently admonish
- She gently admonished the children for running indoors.
- admonish severely
- The captain admonished the crew severely.
- admonish against
- The report admonishes against complacency.
- be admonished
- He was admonished by the committee.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scold
- Scold is more informal and angrier, while admonish is calmer and focuses on correcting.
- reprimand
- Reprimand is an official criticism from someone in authority, which is more formal than admonish.
- rebuke
- Rebuke is sharper and shows clear disapproval, whereas admonish can be gentle.
- caution
- Caution warns of a future risk, while admonish usually addresses behavior that has already happened.
Opposites
Word family
- admonition noun
- a firm warning or telling-off
- admonishment noun
- the act of admonishing
- admonitory adjective
- giving a warning
- admonishingly adverb
- in a warning manner
Commonly confused: admonish or admonition vs ammunition? admonish or admire?
admonish vs admonition vs ammunition
Admonition is a warning; ammunition is bullets and shells. They sound a little alike in fast speech.
admonish vs admire
Admire means to respect or enjoy, and is not related to admonish.
Practice
The librarian quietly ______ the teenagers for talking loudly in the reading room.
Choose one answer.
Admonished means calmly told them off; admired and assisted do not fit with for talking loudly, and accused suggests blaming someone for a serious wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “admonish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.