Expressing gentle warning or mild criticism; the present participle of admonish.
From 'admonish' + '-ing' suffix, which creates either a gerund (noun) or present participle (adjective/verb form) in English.
An 'admonishing' tone is actually harder to deliver than an angry one—think of your grandmother giving you a disappointed look. That mixture of concern and criticism often changes behavior better than yelling does!
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