punish

[ puhn-ish ]

/ ˈpʌn ɪʃ /

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See synonyms for: punish / punished / punishes / punishing on Thesaurus.com

verb (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.

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.

verb (used without object)

to inflict punishment.

OTHER WORDS FOR punish

1 chastise, castigate, discipline.

1, 2 penalize.

See synonyms for punish on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR punish

1, 2 reward.

See antonyms for punish on Thesaurus.com

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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

synonym study for punish

1. 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 WORDS FROM punish

pun·ish·er, nouno·ver·pun·ish, verbpre·pun·ish, verb (used with object)qua·si-pun·ished, adjective

re·pun·ish, verbself-pun·ished, adjectiveun·pun·ished, adjectivewell-pun·ished, adjective

Words nearby punish

pung, punga, pungent, Punic, Punic Wars, punish, punishable, punisher, punishing, punishment, punition

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 Post
Students 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 Post
To 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|Ozy
Those 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 Post

Each 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|DAILY BEAST
And 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|DAILY BEAST
Did North Korea hack Sony to punish them for a Seth Rogen movie that taunts Kim Jong-un?
Sony Hack: A Dictator Move?|Kevin Bleyer|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
And is it right for us to withhold assistance and punish civilians?
U.S. Humanitarian Aid Going to ISIS|Jamie Dettmer|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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 Blatchford
The apprehension that God will punish for not making fulfilment to him accompanies equally the oath and the vow.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
And to punish himself while this reaction lasted, he would seek her out and see that she inflicted the punishment itself.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Oh, 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

punish

/ (ˈpʌnɪʃ) /

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 overexertionto punish a horse

(tr) informal to consume (some commodity) in large quantitiesto punish the bottle

Derived forms of punish

punisher, nounpunishing, adjectivepunishingly, adverb

Word Origin for punish

C14 punisse, from Old French punir, from Latin pūnīre to punish, from poena penalty

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

punish

OTHER WORDS FOR punish

OPPOSITES FOR punish

Origin of punish

synonym study for punish

OTHER WORDS FROM punish

Words nearby punish

Words related to punish

How to use punish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for punish

Derived forms of punish

Word Origin for punish