Nearby Words

punished

[puhn-ish] Origin

pun·ish

[puhn-ish]
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.

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Punished is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English punischen < Middle French puniss-, long stem of punir < Latin pūnīre; akin to poena penalty, pain

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
EXPAND
self-pun·ished, adjective
self-pun·ish·er, noun
un·pun·ished, adjective
well-pun·ished, adjective
COLLAPSE


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, 2. reward.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To punished
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
EXPAND
1801, originally in boxing. Punishing "hard-hitting" is from 1811.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
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