punishing
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of punishing
Explanation
Something punishing is extremely physically difficult to do. On a very hot, humid day, even a 5K is a punishing race to run. Anything that exhausts you because it's so demanding can be described with the adjective punishing. A punishing hike leaves you gasping and applying bandages to your blisters. A punishing argument with your family is more mentally arduous. Sometimes, punishing things weaken or debilitate: "The lack of snow had a punishing result for the ski industry." Rarely, punishing also means "leading to punishment."
Vocabulary lists containing 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.
I asked if she worried that Pratt’s agenda would amount to punishing 70,000 people for the actions of a much smaller number, like the man who had terrorized her.
From Slate • Jun. 3, 2026
She is now the oldest woman on the UFC roster, her longevity in the punishing sport making her one of its best-known names.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
A punishing hangover from pandemic-era overinvestment had already left the gaming industry reeling.
From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026
Harvard may get a more empowering storyline than his florist-hairdresser-retail-clerk predecessors, but the humor is redolent of the same punishing cliches.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Instead of focusing exclusively on punishing bad behavior, staff now track and reward good behavior.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
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.
