punishing
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- nonpunishing adjective
- self-punishing adjective
- unpunishing adjective
- unpunishingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of punishing
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.
But what’s intended as a blow to the government is punishing the Cuban people.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The worst monthly showing for the S&P 500 index in a year — and the worst first-quarter performance since 2022, when a punishing bear market was just getting underway.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
The judge said the U.S. government appeared to be punishing Anthropic, and its actions didn’t appear directed at a national-security concern.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
After the veteran argued he was the victim of a vindictive prosecution, Boasberg allowed for an inquiry into whether the case was rooted in punishing him for constitutionally protected speech.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
She lay in bed looking at the sky, listening to the footsteps below, the voices muffled by walls and the sheets of rain punishing the window.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
