punish
Use Punish in a sentence
ɪʃ verb (used with object)
1.
to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault: to punish a criminal.
2.
to inflict a penalty for (an offense, fault, etc.): to punish theft.
3.
to handle severely or roughly, as in a fight.
4.
to put to painful exertion, as a horse in racing.
5.
Informal. to make a heavy inroad on; deplete: to punish a quart of whiskey.
verb (used without object)
6.
to inflict punishment.
00:10
Punish
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is bowdlerise. Does it mean:
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English punischen < Middle French puniss-, long stem of punir < Latin pūnīre; akin to poena penalty, pain
1300–50; Middle English punischen < Middle French puniss-, long stem of punir < Latin pūnīre; akin to poena penalty, pain
Related forms
pun·ish·er, noun
o·ver·pun·ish, verb
pre·pun·ish, verb (used with object)
qua·si-pun·ished, adjective
re·pun·ish, verb
Synonyms
1. chastise, castigate. 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. 1, 2. penalize.
1. chastise, castigate. 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. 1, 2. penalize.
Antonyms
1, 2. reward.
1, 2. reward.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To punish
Collins
World English Dictionary
punish (ˈpʌnɪʃ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 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 |
| [C14 punisse, from Old French punir, from Latin pūnīre to punish, from poena penalty] | |
| 'punisher | |
| —n | |
| 'punishing | |
| —adj | |
| 'punishingly | |
| —adv | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
punish
mid-14c., from O.Fr. puniss-, extended prp. stem of punir "to punish," from L. punire "inflict a penalty on, cause pain for some offense," earlier poenire, from poena "penalty, punishment" (see penal). Colloquial meaning "to inflict heavy damage or loss" is first recorded
1801, originally in boxing. Punishing "hard-hitting" is from 1811.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
And it was our horror over that case, and our desperate desire to solve it and punish the wrongdoers, that led us astray.
Imagine if our nation, or another, had proposed legislation to punish any website for defamation committed by its users.
In a contempt proceeding, the court may punish the landlord with fines and/or imprisonment.
Let us not punish these companies and there customers by over zealous regulation.
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