punish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- penalize, discipline, castigate, chastise
- Antonyms:
- reward
-
to inflict a penalty for (an offense, fault, etc.).
Unconditional imprisonment is imposed to punish past transgressions.
- Synonyms:
- penalize
- Antonyms:
- reward
-
to mistreat, abuse, or hurt.
Additional tariffs will punish working families with higher prices on household basics.
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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.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
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
-
informal (tr) to consume (some commodity) in large quantities
to punish the bottle
Related Words
Punish, correct, discipline refer to making evident public or private disapproval of violations of law, wrongdoing, or refusal to obey rules or regulations by imposing penalties. To punish is chiefly to inflict penalty or pain as a retribution for misdeeds, with little or no expectation of correction or improvement: to punish a thief. To correct is to reprove or inflict punishment for faults, specifically with the idea of bringing about improvement: to correct a rebellious child. To discipline is to give a kind of punishment that will educate or will establish useful habits: to discipline a careless driver.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of punish
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English punischen, from Middle French puniss-, long stem of punir, from Latin pūnīre; akin to poena penalty, pain
Explanation
To punish is to discipline or penalize someone because they've done something wrong. If you stole the cookie from the cookie jar, someone may have to punish you. Not you? Then who? A judge will often punish a guilty defendant with community service or parole — or sometimes even with time spent in prison, if the crime is serious enough. You probably punish your puppy for chewing your shoes simply with a firm "No!" Sometimes people are punished unfairly, like how higher gas prices punish the people who can already barely afford to drive to their jobs.
Vocabulary lists containing punish
Louder than Hunger
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"Seeking Freedom"
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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.
Mejia said he wanted to pressure landlords to comply with the law — and pressure the city to punish the ones who don’t.
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
While quite obviously a joke about the couple’s age disparity, Melania tweeted that this was “hateful and violent rhetoric” for which ABC should punish him.
From Slate • May 2, 2026
The sanctions are designed not only to punish but to force behavioural change, signalling Washington's willingness to target former leaders accused of fuelling conflict.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
If ServiceNow and IBM are any indication, investors will punish the whole sector for anything other than perfection.
From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026
Blood flowed from the tree when he struck it and a voice came from within warning him that Ceres would surely punish his crime.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
