punishing

[ puhn-i-shing ]

adjective

1. causing or characterized by harsh or injurious treatment; severe; brutal:

   The storm was accompanied by punishing winds.

Other Words From

• non·punish·ing adjective
• self-punish·ing adjective
• un·punish·ing adjective
• un·punish·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of punishing¹

1425–75; late Middle English punyesand; punish, -ing ²

Example Sentences

The part is so punishing, even indoors without battling bugs and planes and epic humidity, that it is routinely performed by actors decades younger.

From Washington Post

The Northern Hemisphere has a punishing heat wave infestationOn Thursday, most of the heat was relegated to the western United States, where temperatures in Montana were forecast to climb into the 100s.

From Washington Post

For the fourth time in five weeks, a punishing heat wave is set to bake the West and adjacent western Canada.

From Washington Post

It will mark the third punishing heat wave in the West this summer, including last week’s in the Pacific Northwest and a record-breaking event in mid-June.

From Washington Post

The punishing heatwave has an incredible jet stream pattern.

From Science News

The Feds are more interesting in finding out who is doing the recruiting rather than punishing those being recruited.

From The Daily Beast

The report said the CIA expressed regret for not ultimately punishing him.

From The Daily Beast

The king set about punishing Marshal, opposing his attempts to establish his family in their lands in Ireland and Wales.

From The Daily Beast

It seems the universe is punishing, violent, random, chaos, and so of course you become controlling.

From The Daily Beast

First, doubly punishing the aforementioned players would definitely raise howls from their union, the NFL Players Association.

From The Daily Beast

Just suppose you were to try for once, really punishing them when they won't obey you, perhaps they would do it next time.

From Project Gutenberg

Or else, rendering the pride of Jacob means rewarding, that is, punishing Ninive for the pride they exercised against Jacob.

From Project Gutenberg

But Judas pursued them close, punishing the profane, of whom he slew thirty thousand men.

From Project Gutenberg

A God of foresight would prevent evil, and in this way would be saved the trouble of punishing it.

From Project Gutenberg

To punish a man for his erroneous opinions, is it not punishing him for having been educated differently from yourself?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• brutal
• grueling
• punitive