castigation
severe criticism or punishment
Roots
- ag / act: do, drive, or set in motion
- cast / chast: pure, correct, or made clean
Other words with the ag / act root
Other words with the cast / chast root
Castigation is sharp correction: blame or punishment meant to set someone right.
The article became a castigation of leaders who had ignored every warning sign.
Castigation should feel severe, not casual. The old root image points to correction as making pure or setting right; the modern word often means harsh criticism, scolding, or punishment.