punish

[puhn-ish]

verb (used with object)

1. to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault.

   The goal of the court is to punish the criminal for the crime he has committed.

   Synonyms: penalize, discipline, castigate, chastise
   Antonyms: reward

2. to inflict a penalty for (an offense, fault, etc.).

   Unconditional imprisonment is imposed to punish past transgressions.

   Synonyms: penalize
   Antonyms: reward

3. to mistreat, abuse, or hurt.

   Additional tariffs will punish working families with higher prices on household basics.

4. to handle severely or roughly, as in a fight.

5. to put to painful exertion, as a horse in racing.

6. Informal.,  to make a heavy inroad on; deplete.

   to punish a quart of whiskey.

verb (used without object)

1. to inflict punishment.

punish

/ ˈpʌnɪʃ /

verb

1. to force (someone) to undergo a penalty or sanction, such as imprisonment, fines, death, etc, for some crime or misdemeanour

2. (tr) to inflict punishment for (some crime, etc)

3. (tr) to use or treat harshly or roughly, esp as by overexertion

   to punish a horse

4. informal,  (tr) to consume (some commodity) in large quantities

   to punish the bottle

Other Word Forms

• punishing adjective
• punisher noun
• punishingly adverb
• overpunish verb
• prepunish verb (used with object)
• quasi-punished adjective
• repunish verb
• self-punished adjective
• unpunished adjective
• well-punished adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of punish¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English punischen, from Middle French puniss-, long stem of punir, from Latin pūnīre; akin to poena penalty, pain

Word History and Origins

Origin of punish¹

C14 punisse, from Old French punir, from Latin pūnīre to punish, from poena penalty

Synonym Study

Punish, correct, discipline refer to making evident public or private disapproval of violations of law, wrongdoing, or refusal to obey rules or regulations by imposing penalties. To punish is chiefly to inflict penalty or pain as a retribution for misdeeds, with little or no expectation of correction or improvement: to punish a thief. To correct is to reprove or inflict punishment for faults, specifically with the idea of bringing about improvement: to correct a rebellious child. To discipline is to give a kind of punishment that will educate or will establish useful habits: to discipline a careless driver.

Example Sentences

Mr Linehan told the court his "life was made hell by activists, by journalists" because of his views about gender identity, and the trial is "just the latest attempt to punish me by process".

From BBC

He has also threatened to punish the Russian leader for the apparent refusal to end the war - or even meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky for peace talks.

From BBC

The government also plans to overhaul the policing and criminal justice response to domestic abuse "to ensure that more victims are protected and more perpetrators are punished".

From BBC

It comes after both government and opposition ministers criticised the council's plan to advise judges to seek extra information before deciding how to punish offenders from certain minority groups.

From BBC

America is rapidly transforming from a service state that provides education, health care, infrastructure and parks to its citizens into a carceral state that punishes and imprisons them.

From Salon

Related Words

• abuse 
• chastise 
• correct 
• crack down on www.thesaurus.com
• discipline 
• dismiss 
• execute 
• expel 
• fine 
• harm 
• hurt 
• incarcerate 
• sentence