Punish
'pʌnɪʃ
Definitions
2 meaningsTo cause someone to suffer for a wrongdoing.
'pʌnɪʃ
To inflict a penalty or suffering on someone for an offense.
The teacher punished the students for talking during the exam.
💡 Simply: Imagine you break a rule, like not doing your homework. When you get punished, it means you get to experience a negative consequence for your bad decision, maybe like having to do extra chores or losing a privilege.
👶 For kids: To make someone feel bad for doing something wrong.
More Examples
The government punishes those who break the law.
He was punished severely for his crime.
How It's Used
"The judge punished the criminal for their crimes."
"The parents punished their child for misbehaving."
"The company punished the employee for poor performance."
To deal with something severely or harshly.
'pʌnɪʃ
To treat harshly or severely.
The storm punished the coastline with strong winds and heavy rain.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, 'punish' can mean something like a storm that heavily damages buildings and trees. It's as if the storm is punishing the area with strong winds and heavy rain.
👶 For kids: To make something have a hard time or get hurt.
More Examples
The critic punished the artist with a scathing review.
The long hike punished his legs.
How It's Used
"The harsh weather punished the crops."
"The critics punished the movie with negative reviews."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
punish with
To enforce the application of a rule by imposing a penalty with something.
"The school punished the students with detention."
From Old French punir, from Latin punire ('to punish'), related to poena ('penalty').
The word 'punish' has been used since the 13th century, with a consistent meaning of inflicting pain or penalty for a wrong.
Memory tip
Think of a judge handing down a sentence.
Word Origin
"to inflict penalty"