Dictionary

punish en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈpʌnɪʃ/

Etymology

From Middle English punischen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French puniss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of punir, from Latin puniō (“to inflict punishment upon”), from poena (“punishment, penalty”); see pain. Displaced Old English wītnian and (mostly, in this sense) wrecan.

Meanings

1. (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).
   • If a prince violates the law, then he must be punished like an ordinary person.
   • It was not from the want of proper laws that dangerous principles had been disseminated, and had assumed a threatening aspect, but because those laws had not been employed by the executive power to remedy the evil, and to punish the offenders. 1818, William Cobbett, The Parliamentary History of England, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1803, page 255:
   • But officials here maintain that their methods do make a difference, and they follow it up with post-release programs. The aim of Bastoy is not to punish or seek revenge, Nilsen said. The only punishment is to take away the prisoner’s right to be a free member of society. 2012 May 24, John D. Sutter, “Welcome to the world’s nicest prison”, in CNN:
   • 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. 2017, Joyce Carol Oates, Double Delight, Open Road Media, →ISBN:
   • The law needs to punish this behaviour as a deterrent to others. 2007, Matthew Weait, Intimacy and Responsibility: The Criminalisation of HIV Transmission, Routledge, →ISBN, page 80:
2. (figuratively, transitive) To treat harshly and unfairly.
   • RDG explains: "From April 1 2026, the following tickets, Anytime, Off-Peak, Day Travelcards and most Ranger and Rover tickets, will no longer be refundable on the day they become valid for travel." It calls the £40m it thinks it loses "refund abuse", which it explains as "refunds on tickets that have been used but not scanned or endorsed, where a customer falsely states that they did not travel". I'm sure such abuse takes place (and that it's done by passengers). But RDG is taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut and punishing many millions of honest passengers by making tickets more restrictive. 2026 March 18, Philip Haigh, “Tickets please: 2p per scan to offset fraudulent refunds?”, in RAIL, number 1057, page 48:
   • The rider who comes back on his horse in mid-air over a fence is punishing his horse severely. 2009, Gordon Wright, Learning to Ride, Hunt, and Show, Skyhorse Publishing Inc., →ISBN, page 44:
   • Homer, moreover, gives the impression that the Sun punished Odysseus's men; but we are later told that the Sun cannot punish individual men […] 2008, Seth Benardete, The Bow and the Lyre: A Platonic Reading of the Odyssey, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, →ISBN, page 5:
   • But each effort that Anna makes —and she has attempted many— meets with obstacles from a welfare bureaucracy that punishes single mothers for initiative and partial economic self-sufficiency. 1994, Valerie Polakow, Lives on the Edge: Single Mothers and Their Children in the Other America, University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, page 68:
3. (colloquial, transitive) To handle or beat severely; to maul.
4. (colloquial, transitive) To consume a large quantity of.
   • A few moments later, we were all sitting around the veranda of the hunters' dining hall, punishing the gin, as usual. 1970, Doc Greene, The Memory Collector, page 49:

Forms

Antonyms

forgive · let off · reward

Deriveds

punishee · punishing · corporally punish · repunish · prepunish · telishment · overpunish · punishability · punishable · punisher · telish · punishment · mispunish · outpunish

Hyponyms

fine · bastinado · flog · telish · outpunish · make an example of · victimize · imprison · prepunish · behead · pillorize · hang · mispunish · hit · ground · repunish · crucify · gate · keelhaul · execute

Relateds

pain · take the law into one's own hands

Synonyms

pillory · give someone what for · correct · chasten · tan someone's hide · penance · fix someone's wagon · give what for · give it to someone · tar out · mistreat · amerce · malavogue · penalize · come down on · punish · nail someone to the wall · castigate · have someone's hide · gruel · chastise · teach someone a lesson · have someone's head · have someone's guts for garters · castigate · penalize

Translations (167)

gl castigar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · km ទរ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ro a pedepsi (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fr châtier (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · hy պատժել (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lt bausti (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fa ادب کردن (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · nl afstraffen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · tr ceza vermek (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fi kurittaa (to treat harshly and unfairly) · qu wanay (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · pt punir (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · bo ཉེས་པ་གཏོང (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ca punir (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · he הֶעֱנִישׁ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ky жазалоо (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · oc punir (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · vi phạt (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · da straffe (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sv straffa (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ka დასჯა (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · de bestrafen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · az cəzasını vermək (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sc castigae (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · uk покара́ти (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ug جازالىماق (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · cmn 制裁 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · zlw-ocs potresktati (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · be пакара́ць (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · mn шийтгэх (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · th ลงโทษ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · got 𐍅𐌻𐌹𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sh ка̏знити (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ar قَاصَصَ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lb strofen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · egy x-s-U35-A24 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · uz jazolamoq (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · mk казни (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ko 응징하다 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ru наказа́ть (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · hu büntet (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fi rangaista (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · bg нака́звам (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · nn straffa (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · egy n-i-k:G37 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · pl ukarać (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · zlw-ocs tresktati (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · cmn 處罰 /处罚 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ga aifir (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · pt castigar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fi rangaista (to treat harshly and unfairly) · zdj uâdhiɓu (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · my ဆုံးမ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · hu megbüntet (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · es empurar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · de strafen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · bn দণ্ড দেত্তয়া (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sk potrestať (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · es castigar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · am ቀጣ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · cs potrestat (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · mk казнува (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · bg нака́жа (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · hi दंड देना (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · uk кара́ти (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · es escarmentar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · scn castiari (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · cs trestat (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · nl straffen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sh kažnjávati (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ang wrecan (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ar جَزَى (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · gl punir (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fr punir (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sw kuadhibu (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · nl bestraffen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ca castigar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · om adabuu (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · uk нака́зувати (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · cmn 懲罰 /惩罚 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lb bestrofen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · chr ᎣᏍᏛᏗᏍᏗ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · nds-de strafen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ko 벌주다 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · th ทำโทษ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ru кара́ть (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sc castigare (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fur cjastiâ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sh кажња́вати (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · km បញ្ចាល (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ko 처벌하다 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · tk jezalandyrmak (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ta தண்டி (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sk trestať (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · es punir (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sa चयते (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · tt җәзаларга (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · mba silot (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ko 징벌하다 (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · be кара́ць (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ja 懲罰する (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · kk жазалау (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · pl karać (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lo ລົງໂທດ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · nb straffe (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · izh rangata (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · scn castijari (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · eo puni (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · it punire (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · la multō (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · id menghukum (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · hi सज़ा देना (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sl kaznovati (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · mi ngahi (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · pms punì (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ru покара́ть (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · tr cezalandırmak (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sc casticare (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · km ផ្ដន្ទា (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · is refsa (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lus hrem (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ga cuir pionós ar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · kw kessydhya (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sq ndëshkoj (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · grc τιμωρέω (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · it castigare (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · nds-de bestrafen (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fa تنبیه کردن (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · az cəzalandırmaq (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sc castigai (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ru нака́зывать (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · oc castigar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lt nubausti (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ar اِقْتَصَّ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ang wītnian (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · zdj uhukumu (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · tg ҷазо додан (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · mi ngawhi (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lv sodīt (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ms menghukum (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ast castigar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · es maltratar (to treat harshly and unfairly) · bn সাজা দেত্তয়া (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · fa مجازات کردن (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · rm chastiar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · izh rangaissa (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · eu zigortu (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · es castigar (to treat harshly and unfairly) · uk наказа́ти (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · uz jazo bermoq (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · yi באַשטראָפֿן (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ja 罰する (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · my အပြစ်ပေး (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · lv nosodīt (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ar عَاقَبَ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · la pūniō (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · tg сазо додан (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · grc κολάζω (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · sh kȁzniti (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · vi trừng phạt (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · el τιμωρώ (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · scn castigari (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · qu maqakuy (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · vec castigar (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ga pionósaigh (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · ur سَزا دینا (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct) · et karistama (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct)