punisher

American  

[puhn-i-sher] / ˈpʌn ɪ ʃər /

noun

• punishers
  plural

1. a person who inflicts a penalty, such as pain, confinement, etc..

   If your response is delayed, the dog will link the punishment to the punisher and not to the transgression.

2. Sports. a person who plays or hits aggressively.

   The player is destined to be an all-American and an all-around punisher in the league.

3. a thing that inflicts pain, discomfort, etc..

   I ran out of time on the test because of one punisher—a question I should have left for last.

4. something that deters or dissuades.

   Any stimulus which makes the behavior it follows more frequent is a reinforcer, even if it is intended as a punisher.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-punisher
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• punishers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of punisher

punish ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

punisher punishers

Still, it’s probably not what the 6-3, 220-pound punisher does best.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2023

While not a system punisher by a long shot, it ran at almost 200 frames per second and looked fantastic on the high refresh rate display.

From The Verge ● Aug. 18, 2022

After scoring 42 points in Game 3, 40 in Game 5 and 44 in Game 6, Antetokounmpo scored or assisted on Milwaukee’s first 24 points in Game 7, serving as setup man, finisher and punisher.

From Washington Post ● May 15, 2022

I even have a little "punisher wave" that some of my friends know about, where it's like a signal to come and save me.

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2020

I am the punishment of the punisher and the polity of them that would win victory.

From The Religions of India Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume 1, Edited by Morris Jastrow by Edward Washburn Hopkins

But that’s only after so much to relish from the exploits of one of literature’s archetypal punishers, who welcomes nightmares, he explains, because “They keep my wounds fresh.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 20, 2024

“There is no place in the world for executioners, punishers and Nazis,” he said.

From Washington Post ● May 9, 2022

In Pennsylvania, the owner of an organic skincare line shut down her social media accounts after social punishers identified her as the daughter of the junta’s auditor general.

From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2021

Caring about others, empathising, loving them, liberates each of us; these bereft figures seem to be prisoners of their selfishness before they are punishers of others.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 12, 2017

We were acting in the character which had already exalted her name as protectors of the weak and punishers of the powerful.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 347, September, 1844 by Various

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