punish
verb (used with object)
to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault.
punished
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past participleof punish.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof punish.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
punishverb (used with object)to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Violence should be punished, not rewarded, and attention should only be given for positive behavior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
In the near term, the market has punished many of these companies for their spending plans.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Students are not normally punished for isolated minor issues, it adds.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Smith said it wasn’t clear whether any of the officers that Flores recorded have been punished.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
“If you want to be punished for something you didn’t do, I guess I could keep quiet...though I don’t like it.”
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
