Punish

Quick meaning: Punish is a verb meaning (transitive, figuratively) To treat harshly and unfairly.

Meaning

(transitive, figuratively) To treat harshly and unfairly.

More Meanings

1. (transitive, colloquial) To handle or beat severely; to maul.
2. (transitive, colloquial) To consume a large quantity of.
3. (transitive) To cause (a child, student, or someone else being looked after, or a suspect or criminal) to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent, teacher, or police officer).

Example Sentences

The law needs to punish this behaviour as a deterrent to others.

If a prince violates the law, then he must be punished like an ordinary person.

The rider who comes back on his horse in mid-air over a fence is punishing his horse severely.

His mother had punished him when he'd deserved it. She'd loved him, he was “all she had,” but she'd punished him, too.

Word Forms

• punishes
• punishing
• punished
• punishe

Synonyms for punish

Depending on context, synonyms include amerce, castigate, chasten, chastise, correct, gruel.

Antonyms for punish

Common opposites include forgive, let off, reward.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include penalize, punitive, penal, penalty, punishment, crackdown.

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