Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense punishes, present participle punishing, past tense, past participle punished
1. verb
To punish someone means to make them suffer in some way because they have done something wrong.
I don't believe that George ever had to punish the children. [VERB noun]
According to present law, the authorities can only punish smugglers with small fines. [VERB noun]
Don't punish your child for being honest. [VERB noun + for]
Synonyms: discipline, correct, castigate, chastise More Synonyms of punish
2. verb
To punish a crime means to punish anyone who commits that crime.
The government voted to punish corruption in sport with up to four years in jail. [VERB noun]
Such behaviour is unacceptable and will be punished. [VERB noun]
More Synonyms of punish
punish in British English
(ˈpʌnɪʃ)
verb
1.
to force (someone) to undergo a penalty or sanction, such as imprisonment, fines, death, etc, for some crime or misdemeanour
2. (transitive)
to inflict punishment for (some crime, etc)
3. (transitive)
to use or treat harshly or roughly, esp as by overexertion
to punish a horse
4. (transitive) informal
to consume (some commodity) in large quantities
to punish the bottle
Derived forms
punisher (ˈpunisher)
noun
punishing (ˈpunishing)
adjective
punishingly (ˈpunishingly)
adverb
Word origin
C14 punisse, from Old French punir, from Latin pūnīre to punish, from poena penalty
punish in American English
(ˈpʌnɪʃ)
verb transitive
1.
to cause to undergo pain, loss, or suffering for a crime or wrongdoing
2.
to impose a penalty on a wrongdoer for (an offense)
3.
to treat harshly or injuriously
the punishing rays of the sun
4. Informal
to consume or use up
verb intransitive
5.
to deal out punishment
SYNONYMY NOTE: punish implies the infliction of some penalty on a wrongdoer and generally connotes retributionrather than correction [to punish a murderer by hanging]; discipline suggests punishment that is intended to control or to establish habits of self-control[to discipline a naughty child]; correct suggests punishment for the purpose of overcoming faults [to correct unruly pupils]; chastise implies usually corporal punishment and connotes both retribution and correction;, castigate now implies punishment by severe public criticism or censure [to castigate a corrupt official]; chasten implies the infliction of tribulation in order to make obedient, meek, etc. and isused especially in a theological sense[ “He chastens and hastens His will to make known”]
Derived forms
punisher (ˈpunisher)
noun
Word origin
ME punischen < extended stem of OFr punir < L punire, to punish < poena, punishment, penalty: see penal
Examples of 'punish' in a sentence
punish
No one was charged or punished for the death.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Obviously a government can be punished for its blunders at a general election.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Before then it could technically be punished with life imprisonment.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The crime can be punished by life imprisonment.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They reward excellence and punish poor behaviour.
The Sun (2014)
Attacks are rare and those who commit them are punished harshly.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The attempt to use the criminal law to punish those who embarrass ministers has been thwarted.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It seems that increasingly the government wants to punish people who are not working.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She knows what she did was wrong and wants to be punished for her crime.
The Sun (2011)
Look for reasons to reward good behaviour not just punish bad.
The Sun (2014)
And the law already punishes those found guilty of that insanity.
The Sun (2006)
People have to be punished for the crimes they commit.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He bites holes in his clothes and is often punished for bad behaviour.
The Sun (2016)
On the other there is an understandable feeling that youths who commit serious crimes should be punished.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Discrimination would be punished by law.
The Sun (2013)
They shouldn't be so harshly punished if they lose their temper.
The Sun (2008)
It's a chance to punish the government of the day.
The Sun (2012)
And for that they should be punished far more harshly, as well as strictly monitored when they are released.
The Sun (2007)
And any breach punished harshly.
The Sun (2011)
In other languages
punish
British English: punish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ VERB
To punish someone means to make them suffer in some way because they have done something wrong.
He never needed to punish his children.
American English: punish
Arabic: يُعَاقِب
Brazilian Portuguese: punir
Chinese: 惩罚
Croatian: kazniti
Czech: trestat
Danish: straffe
Dutch: straffen
European Spanish: castigar
Finnish: rangaista
French: punir
German: bestrafen
Greek: τιμωρώ
Italian: punire
Japanese: 罰する
Korean: 벌을 주다
Norwegian: straffe
Polish: ukarać
European Portuguese: punir
Romanian: a pedepsi
Russian: наказывать
Latin American Spanish: castigar
Swedish: bestraffa
Thai: ลงโทษ
Turkish: cezalandırmak
Ukrainian: карати
Vietnamese: phạt
Chinese translation of 'punish'
punish
(ˈpʌnɪʃ)
vt
[person]惩(懲)罚(罰) (chéngfá)
[crime]处(處)罚(罰) (chǔfá)
to punish sb for sth/for doing sth因某事/做某事而惩(懲)罚(罰)某人 (yīn mǒushì/zuò mǒushì ér chéngfá mǒurén)
1 (verb)
Definition
to force (someone) to undergo a penalty for some crime or misbehaviour
George has never had to punish the children.
Synonyms
discipline
He was disciplined by his company, but not dismissed.
correct
He gently corrected me for using the wrong word.
castigate
She castigated him for having no intellectual interests.
chastise
beat
He lost the boxing match and was badly beaten by his opponent.
sentence
whip
Eyewitnesses claimed he whipped the horse up to 16 times.
lash
The punishment for stealing bread is five lashes.
cane
flog
He never flogs his horse no matter how slowly she goes.
scourge
They were scourging him severely.
chasten
penalize
Players who break the rules will be penalized.
bring to book
slap someone's wrist
throw the book at
rap someone's knuckles
give someone the works (slang)
give a lesson to
2 (verb)
Definition
to treat harshly, esp. by overexertion
Synonyms
mistreat
I have been mistreated by people in the past.
abuse
People responsible for abusing prisoners must be held accountable.
hurt
Did they hurt you?
injure
A bomb exploded, seriously injuring five people.
harm
I removed the splinter carefully, anxious not to harm him further.
batter
a storm that's been battering the Northeast coastline
misuse
His parents should not have misused him.
oppress
manhandle
rough up
knock about
give (someone) a going-over (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abuse
Definition
to ill-treat violently
People responsible for abusing prisoners must be held accountable.
Synonyms
ill-treat,
wrong,
damage,
hurt,
injure,
harm,
mar,
spoil,
oppress,
maul,
molest,
dump on (slang, US),
impose upon,
manhandle,
rough up,
brutalize,
shit on (taboo, slang),
maltreat,
misapply,
handle roughly,
knock about or around
in the sense of batter
Definition
to damage or injure, as by blows, heavy wear, etc.
a storm that's been battering the Northeast coastline
Synonyms
damage,
destroy,
hurt,
injure,
harm,
ruin,
crush,
mar,
wreck,
total (slang),
shatter,
weaken,
bruise,
demolish,
shiver (archaic, literary),
trash (slang),
maul,
mutilate,
mangle,
mangulate (Australian, slang),
disfigure,
deface,
play (merry) hell with (informal)
in the sense of beat
Definition
to strike with a series of violent blows
He lost the boxing match and was badly beaten by his opponent.
Synonyms
batter,
break,
hit,
strike,
knock,
punch,
belt (informal),
whip,
deck (slang),
bruise,
bash (informal),
sock (slang),
lash,
chin (slang),
pound,
smack,
thrash,
cane,
thump,
lick (informal),
buffet,
clout (informal),
flog,
whack (informal),
maul,
clobber (slang),
wallop (informal),
tonk (informal),
cudgel,
thwack (informal),
lambast(e),
lay one on (slang),
drub,
tan (informal),
lam (informal),
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
Synonyms of 'punish'
punish
Explore 'punish' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of castigate
Definition
to find fault with or reprimand (a person) harshly
She castigated him for having no intellectual interests.
Synonyms
reprimand,
blast,
carpet (informal),
flame (informal),
put down,
criticize,
lash,
slate (informal, British),
censure,
rebuke,
scold,
berate,
dress down (informal),
chastise,
chasten,
tear into (informal),
diss (slang),
read the riot act,
slap on the wrist,
lambast(e),
bawl out (informal),
excoriate,
rap over the knuckles,
haul over the coals (informal),
chew out (US, Canadian, informal),
tear (someone) off a strip (British, informal),
give a rocket (British, New Zealand, informal)
in the sense of chasten
Synonyms
chastise,
correct,
discipline,
castigate
in the sense of correct
Definition
to rebuke or punish in order to improve
He gently corrected me for using the wrong word.
Synonyms
rebuke,
discipline,
reprimand,
chide,
admonish,
chastise,
chasten,
reprove,
punish
in the sense of flog
Definition
to beat harshly, esp. with a whip or stick
He never flogs his horse no matter how slowly she goes.
Synonyms
beat,
whip,
lash,
thrash,
whack,
scourge,
hit hard,
trounce,
castigate,
chastise,
flay,
lambast(e),
flagellate,
punish severely,
beat or knock seven bells out of (informal)
in the sense of harm
Definition
to injure physically, morally, or mentally
I removed the splinter carefully, anxious not to harm him further.
Synonyms
injure,
hurt,
wound,
abuse,
molest,
ill-treat,
maltreat,
lay a finger on,
ill-use
in the sense of hurt
Did they hurt you?
Synonyms
harm,
injure,
molest,
ill-treat,
maltreat,
lay a finger on
in the sense of injure
Definition
to hurt physically or mentally
A bomb exploded, seriously injuring five people.
Synonyms
hurt,
wound,
harm,
break,
damage,
smash,
crush,
mar,
disable,
shatter,
bruise,
impair,
mutilate,
maim,
mangle,
mangulate (Australian, slang),
incapacitate
in the sense of lash
Definition
to hit (a person or thing) sharply with a whip, esp. formerly as punishment
The punishment for stealing bread is five lashes.
Synonyms
whip,
beat,
thrash,
birch,
flog,
lam (slang),
scourge,
chastise,
lambast(e),
flagellate,
horsewhip
in the sense of misuse
Definition
to treat badly or harshly
His parents should not have misused him.
Synonyms
mistreat,
abuse,
injure,
harm,
exploit,
wrong,
molest,
manhandle,
ill-treat,
brutalize,
maltreat,
ill-use,
handle roughly
in the sense of penalize
Definition
to impose a penalty on (someone) for breaking a law or rule
Players who break the rules will be penalized.
Synonyms
punish,
discipline,
correct,
handicap,
award a penalty against,
impose a penalty on
Additional synonyms
in the sense of scourge
Definition
to whip
They were scourging him severely.
Synonyms
whip,
beat,
lash,
thrash,
discipline,
belt (informal),
leather,
punish,
whale,
cane,
flog,
trounce,
castigate,
wallop (informal),
chastise,
lather (informal),
horsewhip,
tan (someone's) hide (slang),
take a strap to
in the sense of whip
Definition
to hit with a whip
Eyewitnesses claimed he whipped the horse up to 16 times.