punish
verb (used with object)
to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault.
were punishing
-
past progressiveof punish.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Investors were punishing memory stocks in Thursday’s extended session — even after strong earnings reports.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
Then as now, the races were punishing and dangerous.
From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2023
“It was never quite clear what it was supposed to achieve, other than making certain people feel like they were punishing the Germans.”
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 10, 2022
Lucy Moore, author of “Anything Goes: A Biography of the Roaring Twenties,” connects World War I with the 1918 influenza in that they both were punishing for young Americans.
From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2021
The undersized high-heel slippers were punishing her tired feet that looked like bunions all over.
From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
