CASTIGATOR Synonyms: 60 Similar and Opposite Words

castigator

noun

Definition of castigator

as in criticizer

a person given to harsh judgments and to finding faults even Broadway's most famously caustic castigator liked the play

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in nemesis

one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense the principal seems to enjoy his role as the tireless castigator of classroom pranksters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for castigator

Noun

In turn, the criticizer is made out to be overreacting.

— Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Definition of criticizer

Noun

After a big road win against longtime nemesis Oregon, video posted online showed Chesney delivering a fiery speech to his team in the tunnel before facing the Ducks.

— Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
But Bond’s most enduring nemesis has nothing to do with Blofeld’s white cat.

— Luka Ladan, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of nemesis

Noun

Many of his domestic critics have faulted him for prolonging the war in Gaza to appease his far-right allies, and for permitting ultra-Orthodox Jews to forgo military service to appease that sizable religious voter bloc.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Following backlash, Crawford removed the post from her X timeline on Sunday afternoon and apologized for violating the network’s standards, amid complaints from internal and external critics about the post to CBS News leadership.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of critic

Noun

As the group of masked vigilantes approached, several members beat Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was hospitalized for her injuries.

— Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Of late, vigilantes have been rearing their heads in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

— RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of vigilante

Noun

Tresnjak and Melinda Page Hamilton frame Claire Zachanassian as a clear-eyed avenger forcing society to confront capitalism, patriarchy and power, deepening the Playhouse’s emerging sense of company and artistic risk-taking.

— Jenelle Riley, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Speaking of that last vampire subject, this is also a great episode for Jacob Anderson in the B-plot, as Louis plays the reluctant avenger doing that loveable scoundrel Raglan James’s dirty work in two stand-out action sequences.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 June 2026

Definition of avenger

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.

Browse Nearby Words

castigations

castigator

castigators

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Castigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castigator. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of castigator

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes