punish
to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault: The goal of the court is to punish the criminal for the crime he has committed.
to inflict a penalty for (an offense, fault, etc.): Unconditional imprisonment is imposed to punish past transgressions.
to mistreat, abuse, or hurt:Additional tariffs will punish working families with higher prices on household basics.
to handle severely or roughly, as in a fight.
to put to painful exertion, as a horse in racing.
Informal. to make a heavy inroad on; deplete: to punish a quart of whiskey.
to inflict punishment.
Origin of punish
1synonym study For punish
Other words for punish
Opposites for punish
Other words from punish
- pun·ish·er, noun
- o·ver·pun·ish, verb
- pre·pun·ish, verb (used with object)
- qua·si-pun·ished, adjective
- re·pun·ish, verb
- self-pun·ished, adjective
- un·pun·ished, adjective
- well-pun·ished, adjective
Words Nearby punish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use punish in a sentence
Silver said in December that he hoped that players would stand for the anthem, but that he wouldn’t punish players who protested.
The NBA’s week of controversies show how hard life is outside of the bubble | Ben Golliver | February 12, 2021 | Washington PostStudents will not be punished for using single-use plastics on campus, but school officials plan to offer enough alternatives so that students will not need to rely on plastics, Chapple said.
George Washington University commits to single-use-plastic ban | Lauren Lumpkin | February 11, 2021 | Washington PostTo his credit, when he was in a position to financially punish me for saying no, he did not.
Outing a Celeb Sex Pest and Mourning Larry Flynt … Sorta | Eugene Robinson | February 11, 2021 | OzyThose videos and other stuff happened before any of us were on the team, and it feels like we’re being punished.
Former cheerleaders settle with Washington Football Team as program’s future is in doubt | Beth Reinhard | February 10, 2021 | Washington PostEach practice session was planned to the minute, and players were punished if they were late.
Marty Schottenheimer, one of the NFL’s winningest coaches, dies at 77 | Matt Schudel | February 9, 2021 | Washington Post
Instead, it appears that the Obama administration has opted to punish North Korea financially.
U.S. Spies Say They Tracked ‘Sony Hackers’ For Years | Shane Harris | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd the law can easily be used as a political tool to punish any disrespect of the state.
Disco Mullah Blasphemy Row Highlights Pakistan’s Hypocrisy | Shaheen Pasha | December 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDid North Korea hack Sony to punish them for a Seth Rogen movie that taunts Kim Jong-un?
Asked, if Christie is so terrible, why he would want to punish the people of the Garden State with his presence, Tancredo laughed.
The ‘Stop Chris Christie’ Movement Begins. Good Luck With That. | Olivia Nuzzi | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd is it right for us to withhold assistance and punish civilians?
To punish the habit, a Turk was seized and a pipe transfixed through his nose.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.The children of Israel, having been sent out by Jahweh to punish the Midianites, "slew all the males."
God and my Neighbour | Robert BlatchfordThe apprehension that God will punish for not making fulfilment to him accompanies equally the oath and the vow.
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John CunninghamAnd to punish himself while this reaction lasted, he would seek her out and see that she inflicted the punishment itself.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodOh, madame, I tell you you do but waste time, and you punish me and harass yourself to little purpose.
St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
British Dictionary definitions for punish
/ (ˈpʌnɪʃ) /
to force (someone) to undergo a penalty or sanction, such as imprisonment, fines, death, etc, for some crime or misdemeanour
(tr) to inflict punishment for (some crime, etc)
(tr) to use or treat harshly or roughly, esp as by overexertion: to punish a horse
(tr) informal to consume (some commodity) in large quantities: to punish the bottle
Origin of punish
1Derived forms of punish
- punisher, noun
- punishing, adjective
- punishingly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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