Definition of chastenext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word chaste distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of chaste are decent, modest, and pure. While all these words mean "free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious," chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows.

they maintained chaste relations

How are the words modest and decent related as synonyms of chaste?

Both modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity.

preferred more modest swimsuits
decent people didn't go to such movies

How do pure and chaste relate to one another?

Pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions.

the pure of heart

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of chaste There were other stories that bothered him more, like a post by a writer who recounted a chaste one-night stand with Tea Party activist and Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell that described her pubic hair. — Frank Digiacomo, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026 The songwriting is so chaste and disembodied that an Old Hollywood censor would have no problem greenlighting it. — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 20 Apr. 2026 Rue’s comparatively chaste behavior this season — including in scenes with high school love Jules (the always magnetic Hunter Schafer) — feels like a concession to Zendaya’s huge star power and public image. — Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026 Most notable of these other wives is Vrinda, the chaste wife of the demon Jalandhar. — Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for chaste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chaste
Adjective
  • Kerry’s pure love for her son despite his precarious origins is a meaningful emotional fulcrum.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Individually, the songs on Beat were largely recognizable in the broader indie rock world—post-rock and shoegaze live alongside torchy trip-hop and pure ambient.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Nestled at the northeast end of a seven-mile-long deep water fjord, guests have 600 acres of pristine nature to explore.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Smiling serenely, the author looks immaculately put-together, including her matte red lips, which are even more striking contrasted against her pristine white suit.
    — Fawnia Soo Hoo, Allure, 5 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • His homemaker mother Leonor (a superb Maude Sandham) and his 17-year-old sister Ilse (Karoline Watson) complete the immaculate family portrait, but there’s unrest there too.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Please enjoy every pitch of Payton Tolle's immaculate inning.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • With more housing near transit comes less reliance on cars, more pedestrian-friendly development, cleaner air and strengthened commercial corridors.
    — Bennett Lawson, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • According to advanced fielding metrics, no player in the league made a bigger defensive contribution to his team than the Braves center fielder, an elite defender with a strong arm who takes clean routes to the ball.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Yet Hamaguchi turns these seemingly modest encounters into something sublime, aided by the extraordinary performances of Efira and Okamoto, who shared the prize for best actress at Cannes.
    — Elissa Suh, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Here, a modest slide-out wall module expands the width of the motorhome interior to carve out extra space for a cozy home theater-style setup with two side-facing power recliners split far enough apart to fit a drinks/snacks table between them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • In Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, evil is a native sickness that contaminates an otherwise perfect, unsullied child of empire.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • But the prosecutor leading the case against the Tates, Rareș Stan, had an unsullied reputation.
    — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Chaste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chaste. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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