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admonishing

admonishing

6.5
Showing mild criticism to help someone behave better
  • adjective
  • /ədˈmɒnɪʃɪŋ/
translation icon : amonestador
  • She gave her son an admonishing glance when he started to complain in public.

Heiss, Miss Polici told the media that she had sent me a letter, quote, admonishing me for our reporting on this case, for putting him on the air.

Examples

  • The teacher’s admonishing tone made the students fall silent.

  • With an admonishing shake of his head, he reminded them about the rules.

  • Don't be so admonishing all the time!

  • The teacher gave an admonishing look to the students.

  • The parents had an admonishing conversation with their child about respecting their curfew.

  • The manager's admonishing remarks during the meeting highlighted the need for improvements in teamwork.

  • Her admonishing words served as a reminder for everyone to take their responsibilities seriously.

Synonyms

reproachful
vsadmonishing
2 6.5

Showing disapproval in voice or look

aims to correct actions rather than only assigning blame
admonitory
vsadmonishing
1 8.3

Giving a warning to show disapproval

focuses on correcting behavior rather than on giving a warning
reproving
vsadmonishing
7.4

Showing that someone is not happy and trying to correct them

is milder, focusing on correction through criticising behavior

Antonyms

2.1

Showing approval and admiration for someone or their work

How Reproachful

admonishing
6.5
reproachful
2 6.5

Surface Forms

admonishing positive

Morphology

admonishing = admonish (transparent) = ad + monish + ing

Formed by adding the participial suffix '-ing' to the verb 'admonish'; the adjectival meaning is the direct result of the verb.

Etymology

Admonishing comes from the Latin parts ad- and monere, where monere means 'to warn' and is the same root as monitor. So an admonishing look or tone is a warning meant to correct someone's behavior.