punish
verb (used with object)
to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault.
punishingly
-
a word derived from
punish.
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.
While a high-school venture pool is barely imaginable at almost any other high school in the U.S., the punishingly risky form of finance might make perfect sense at San Jose-based Harker.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025
The bill is intended to address the large number of students who live out of cars and RVs due to the punishingly high cost of housing in California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2025
It was just before 2 p.m., punishingly hot and humid.
From Slate ● Jun. 19, 2025
In places the grasses are punishingly thick for this Open, but as fearsome as it looks, the rough has browned off, it is more brittle than juicy and therefore potentially playable.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2024
The cast, though, handled it courageously — particularly the soprano Agneta Eichenholz as Fiordiligi, who performed the punishingly long “Per pietà” through the start of sudden rainfall.
From New York Times ● Jul. 11, 2023
