Synonyms

punishing

American

[puhn-i-shing] / ˈpʌn ɪ ʃɪŋ /

adjective

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

Etymology

Origin of punishing

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

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.

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

Investors have spent months punishing Oracle’s stock in reaction to the company’s pivot to artificial-intelligence infrastructure, but one analyst thinks the company will prove the doubters wrong.

From MarketWatch

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

SAN FRANCISCO—A federal judge on Tuesday said the U.S. government appeared to be punishing Anthropic by banning the artificial-intelligence company—in retribution for bringing into the public view its contracting dispute with the Pentagon.

From The Wall Street Journal

“I realize neither of you have served as attorneys with actual clients for a very long time,” he wrote, accusing them of “attacking an attorney and punishing his clients” for appealing their decision.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023