admonish

English

Etymology

From Middle English admonesten, admonissen, from Old French amonester (modern French admonester), from an unattested Late Latin or Vulgar Latin *admonestrāre, from Latin admoneō (“remind, warn”), from ad + moneō (“warn, advise”). See premonition.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ədˈmɒn.ɪʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ædˈmɑn.ɪʃ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Verb

admonish (third-person singular simple present admonishes, present participle admonishing, simple past and past participle admonished)

1. (transitive) To inform or notify of a fault; to rebuke gently or kindly, but seriously; to tell off.

   Synonyms: reprimand, chide; see also Thesaurus:reprehend

   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Ecclesiastes 4:13:

     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 12:12:

     And further, by these, my sonne, be admonished: of making many bookes there is no end, and much studie is a wearinesse of the flesh.

   • 1914 September – 1915 May, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear: A Sherlock Holmes Novel, New York, N.Y.: George H[enry] Doran Company, published 27 February 1915, →OCLC:

     Well, that's because he daren't trust you. But in his heart he is not a loyal brother. We know that well. So we watch him and we wait for the time to admonish him.

   • 2017 July 16, Brandon Nowalk, “Chickens and dragons come home to roost on Game Of Thrones (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:

     […] But then things take a turn, the men starting to keel over as Walder seems to admonish them for leaving certain threads hanging. […]

3. (transitive, with of or against) To advise against wrongdoing; to caution; to warn against danger or an offense.

   Synonyms: caution; see also Thesaurus:advise

   • 1906 May–October, Jack London, chapter II, in White Fang, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., published October 1906, →OCLC, part 1 (The Wild):

     “You needn’t stray off too far in doin’ it,” his partner admonished. “If that pack ever starts to jump you, them three cartridges’d be wuth no more’n three whoops in hell. Them animals is damn hungry, an’ once they start in, they’ll sure get you, Bill.”

4. (transitive) To instruct or direct.

   Synonyms: inform, notify

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

• modinhas

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /adˈmonɪʃ/

Verb

admonish (third-person singular simple present admonishes, present participle admonishin, simple past admonisht, past participle admonisht)

1. to admonish

References

• Eagle, Andy, ed. (2016) The Online Scots Dictionary, Scots Online.