punch

[ puhnch ]

/ pʌntʃ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR punch ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a thrusting blow, especially with the fist.

forcefulness, effectiveness, or pungency in content or appeal; power; zest: a letter to voters that needs more punch.

verb (used with object)

to give a sharp thrust or blow to, especially with the fist.

Western U.S. and Western Canada. to drive (cattle).

to poke or prod, as with a stick.

Informal. to deliver (lines in a play, a musical passage, or the like) with vigor.

to strike or hit in operating: to punch the typewriter keys.

to put into operation with or as if with a blow: to punch a time clock.

Baseball. to hit (the ball) with a short, chopping motion rather than with a full swing: He punched a soft liner just over third base for a base hit.

verb (used without object)

to give a sharp blow to a person or thing, as with the fist: The boxer punches well.

Verb Phrases

punch away, Informal. to keep trying or working, especially in difficult or discouraging circumstances; persevere: punching away at the same old job.

punch in,

to record one's time of arrival at work by punching a time clock.
to keyboard (information) into a computer: to punch in the inventory figures.

punch out,

to record one's time of departure from work by punching a time clock.
Slang. to beat up or knock out with the fists.
to extract (information) from a computer by the use of a keyboard: to punch out data on last week's sales.
to bail out; eject from an aircraft.

punch up,

to call up (information) on a computer by the use of a keyboard: to punch up a list of hotel reservations.
Informal. to enliven, as with fresh ideas or additional material: You'd better punch up that speech with a few jokes.

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby punch

puna, punakha, punan, puncak jaya, punce, punch, punch biopsy, punch bowl, punch card, punch graft, punch in

Idioms for punch

pull punches,

to lessen deliberately the force of one's blows.
Informal. to act with restraint or hold back the full force or implications of something: He wasn't going to pull any punches when he warned them of what they would be up against.

roll with the punches, Informal. to cope with and survive adversity: In the business world you quickly learn to roll with the punches.

Origin of punch

1350–1400; Middle English punchen (v.); apparently variant of pounce¹

SYNONYMS FOR punch

3 strike, hit; drub, pummel.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR punch ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM punch

punch·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (1 of 4)

punch¹

/ (pʌntʃ) /

verb

to strike blows (at), esp with a clenched fist

(tr) Western US to herd or drive (cattle), esp for a living

(tr) to poke or prod with a stick or similar object

punch above one's weight to do something that is considered to be beyond one's ability

noun

a blow with the fist

informal telling force, point, or vigourhis arguments lacked punch

pull one's punches See pull (def. 26)

Derived forms of punch

puncher, noun

Word Origin for punch

C15: perhaps a variant of pounce ²

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (2 of 4)

punch²

/ (pʌntʃ) /

noun

a tool or machine for piercing holes in a material

any of various tools used for knocking a bolt, rivet, etc, out of a hole

a tool or machine used for stamping a design on something or shaping it by impact

the solid die of a punching machine for cutting, stamping, or shaping material

computing a device, such as a card punch or tape punch, used for making holes in a card or paper tape

See centre punch

verb

(tr) to pierce, cut, stamp, shape, or drive with a punch

Word Origin for punch

C14: shortened from puncheon, from Old French ponçon; see puncheon ²

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (3 of 4)

punch³

/ (pʌntʃ) /

noun

any mixed drink containing fruit juice and, usually, alcoholic liquor, generally hot and spiced

Word Origin for punch

C17: perhaps from Hindi pānch, from Sanskrit pañca five; the beverage originally included five ingredients

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (4 of 4)

Punch

/ (pʌntʃ) /

noun

the main character in the traditional children's puppet show Punch and Judy

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

Idioms and Phrases with punch in (1 of 2)

punch in

Also, punch a or the clock. Check in at a job upon arrival, as in You have to punch in or you won't get paid, or In this office no one has to punch a clock. This usage alludes to the use of a time clock, which has a button an employee punches or strikes to record the time of arrival on a card. [1920s] Also see punch out, def. 1.

Keyboard data into a computer, as in He was careful about punching in all the payments. [Mid-1900s]

Idioms and Phrases with punch in (2 of 2)

punch

In addition to the idioms beginning with punch

punch in
punch out

also see:

beat to it (the punch)
can't punch one's way out of a paper bag
pack a punch
pleased as punch
pull no punches
roll with the punches
sucker punch
throw a punch

punch

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Verb Phrases

QUIZZES

Words related to punch

Words nearby punch

Idioms for punch

Origin of punch

SYNONYMS FOR punch

OTHER WORDS FROM punch

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (1 of 4)

verb

noun

Derived forms of punch

Word Origin for punch

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (2 of 4)

noun

verb

Word Origin for punch

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (3 of 4)

noun

Word Origin for punch

British Dictionary definitions for punch in (4 of 4)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with punch in (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with punch in (2 of 2)