1. severely criticizing or reprimanding someone for their actions or behavior
Usage: present participle of castigate; formal

Examples

• The teacher was castigating the students for their poor performance on the exam.
• The editorial spent three paragraphs castigating the mayor’s handling of the crisis.
• She found herself castigating her own mistakes long after the presentation ended.
• The coach was castigating the team for their lack of effort during practice.
• Critics are castigating the company for its environmental policies.
• He regretted castigating his colleague so harshly in front of others.