penaladjective
uk/ˈpiː.nəl/us/ˈpiː.nəl/penal adjective (PUNISHMENT)
[ before noun ] of or relating to punishment given by law:
Many people believe that execution has no place in the penal system of a civilized society.
He had been in and out of penal institutions (= prison) from the age of 16.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Punishing & punishments
- bar
- be brought/called to account idiom
- boot
- bring
- bum rap
- carrot
- chastise
- clobber
- crucify
- heads will roll! idiom
- kick
- kick (some) ass idiom
- non-custodial
- parking ticket
- penalize
- string
- strip
- throw
- throw the book at sb idiom
- wheel clamp
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penal adjective (CAUSING DISADVANTAGE)
UK having a harmful effect; causing disadvantage:
They complained about the penal and counter-productive tax rates.
Employees regarded the childcare charges as penal.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Dangerous and harmful
- adverse
- apocalyptic
- biohazard
- damaging
- deleterious
- do more harm than good idiom
- favour
- forbidding
- gnarly
- harm
- harmful
- kiss
- negative
- not do sb any favours idiom
- pernicious
- rogue
- ruinous
- self-destruct
- stinking thinking
- toxic
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