chidden
Definition
Chidden is the past participle form of the verb chide.
- Verb (past participle):
- Scolded or rebuked: "chidden" describes someone who has been criticized or reprimanded, typically in a mild or gentle manner.
- Admonished: It implies a verbal expression of disapproval, often with the intention of correcting or improving behavior.
Usage Examples
- (The child was gently scolded for being late.)
- (She experienced a sense of being rebuked.)
- (After being reprimanded previously, he avoided the error.)
Advanced Usage
"chidden" in literary or formal contexts: This form is less common in everyday speech and appears more often in older or poetic English.
- The knight, chidden by his king, bowed his head in shame. (The knight was rebuked by his king.)
"to be chidden": used in passive constructions.
- The students were chidden for their lack of effort. (The students were scolded.)
Variants and Related Words
Chide (verb, present tense): to scold or rebuke mildly.
- She chides her son for forgetting his chores. (She scolds him gently.)
Chid (past tense, alternative form): a less common past tense of "chide".
- He chid her for her carelessness. (He scolded her.)
Chiding (present participle): the act of scolding.
- His chiding words made her feel guilty. (His scolding words.)
Synonyms
- Rebuked: to express sharp disapproval.
- Admonished: to warn or reprimand firmly but kindly.
- Reproved: to criticize gently.
Related Idioms
"Chidden by conscience": feeling guilt or remorse from one's own moral judgment.
- He was chidden by his conscience for telling a lie. (His inner sense of right and wrong rebuked him.)
"To chide someone for something": to scold someone because of a specific action.
- The mother chided her child for spilling milk. (She scolded him for the accident.)