What does chidden mean?
"Chidden" is the archaic past participle of the verb "chide," which means to scold, rebuke, or reprimand someone for a fault or shortcoming. To be chidden is therefore to have been told off — whether sharply or gently — by someone with authority over one's conduct. In modern English, the regular forms "chided" and "chiding" have largely replaced the older irregular participle, but "chidden" persists in literature and in writers who wish to evoke an earlier age. It appears most naturally in constructions such as "chidden for his laziness" or "chidden by her elders." The word carries a mildly literary, sometimes faintly affectionate connotation: the scolding it describes is typically verbal correction rather than harsh abuse. Readers encountering "chidden" in Shakespeare, Victorian fiction, or poetry should understand it simply as "scolded" — a small word that quietly signals the passage of centuries in the language.
verb"Chidden" is an archaic past participle of the verb "chide," meaning to have been scolded or rebuked. It survives mainly in literary or deliberately old-fashioned usage.
- Having been scolded, rebuked, or reproved (archaic past participle of "chide").
"The apprentice, chidden once more for his carelessness, slunk out of the workshop without a word."
"Chidden by her tutor for a fortnight's neglect of her studies, she finally returned to her books."
"The hound crept to its master's feet, chidden yet still eager to please."
Shakespeare's characters were often "chidden" for their faults — but say it today and you'll sound four hundred years older than everyone else.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chidden
The word derives from Middle English "chiden" (to scold, contend), which comes from Old English "cidan," a verb of uncertain ultimate origin. In Middle English, "chide" formed its past participle irregularly as "chidden," alongside the simpler "chid"; over time the regularized "chided" won out, leaving "chidden" as a fossil of earlier English inflection preserved chiefly in literary usage. Its closest relatives are simply the other forms of the same verb — "chide," "chid," and "chiding" — as no secure cognates outside English are established.
Related word forms
How chidden is actually used
Strictly a verb form (past participle of "chide") rather than an adjective, though it can appear attributively in literary prose. The modern regular form "chided" has almost entirely displaced it in contemporary English; "chidden" now signals deliberate archaism or quotation of older literature.
Easily confused with chidden
"Chided" is the modern regular past tense and past participle of "chide," whereas "chidden" is the older irregular participle now considered archaic.
"Hidden" means concealed from view, while "chidden" means having been scolded — they rhyme but are unrelated in meaning.