punishing

[puhn-i-shing]

adjective

1. causing or characterized by harsh or injurious treatment; severe; brutal.

   The storm was accompanied by punishing winds.

Other Word Forms

• nonpunishing adjective
• self-punishing adjective
• unpunishing adjective
• unpunishingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of punishing¹

1425–75; late Middle English punyesand; punish, -ing ²

Example Sentences

The deal -- which guarantees supply of rare earths and other critical minerals, at least temporarily -- effectively neutralised the most punishing US measures and was widely seen as a victory for Beijing.

Read more on Barron's

"Our investigative efforts have secured an arrest today, which will be the first step in delivering justice for residents and punishing those responsible."

Read more on BBC

However, Google’s stock outperformance shows that the market isn’t punishing all capital expenditures.

Read more on MarketWatch

"It's not about punishing artists who use AI responsibly or down-ranking tracks for disclosing information about how they were made."

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He absorbed several punishing hits against Nebraska earlier this month before developing concussion symptoms over the next week, forcing him to miss the game against Ohio State.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• brutal 
• grueling 
• punitive