chastises

Chastises is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb chastise, meaning to rebuke or reprimand someone severely or sternly, often with the aim of correcting behavior. As a transitive verb, it requires a direct object: one chastises a person or group for a fault or misstep.

In usage, chastise can refer to individuals or groups and may occur in settings such as parenting, education, sports coaching, management, or journalism. The tone conveyed by chastising tends to be strong and formal; while it can be constructive, it often implies moral or disciplinary judgment and a demand for change. Common synonyms include rebuke, reprimand, and admonish, with chastise implying greater severity than some of these terms.

Chastise derives from Latin castigare 'to punish, rebuke' through Old French chastier or chastiser, and has entered English with the sense of stern correction. Related forms include chastises (present), chastising (present participle), chastised (past), and the noun chastisement.

Examples: The coach chastises the team for repeated errors; The teacher chastised the class for talking during the lesson.