punish

verb

pun·​ish ˈpə-nish 

punished; punishing; punishes

transitive verb

1

a

: to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation

b

: to inflict a penalty for the commission of (an offense) in retribution or retaliation

2

a

: to deal with roughly or harshly

b

: to inflict injury on : hurt

intransitive verb

: to inflict punishment

punishability

ˌpə-nish-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

punishable

ˈpə-nish-ə-bəl 

adjective

punisher noun

Synonyms

• castigate
• chasten
• chastise
• correct
• discipline
• penalize

Choose the Right Synonym for punish

punish, chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline, correct mean to inflict a penalty on in requital for wrongdoing.

punish implies subjecting to a penalty for wrongdoing.

punished for stealing

chastise may apply to either the infliction of corporal punishment or to verbal censure or denunciation.

chastised his son for neglecting his studies

castigate usually implies a severe, typically public censure.

an editorial castigating the entire city council

chasten suggests any affliction or trial that leaves one humbled or subdued.

chastened by a landslide election defeat

discipline implies a punishing or chastening in order to bring under control.

parents must discipline their children

correct implies punishing aimed at reforming an offender.

the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer

Examples of punish in a Sentence

I think that murderers should be punished by life imprisonment.

She was punished for lying.

His parents punished him by taking away his allowance.

How should I punish my child's misbehavior?

State law punishes fraud with fines.

Recent Examples on the Web

The national opioid settlements punished pharmaceutical manufacturers and some pharmacies for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic, which began with prescription painkillers and ultimately morphed into fentanyl. —Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 15 May 2025

And will Joe be punished by the jury for voting out his allies? —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 15 May 2025

But the rise of A.I. content makes this taboo harder to enforce: there is no easy way to separate a satirical A.I. rendition from a sympathetic one, and no way, in any case, to punish a nonexistent singer for singing an offensive phrase. —Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 15 May 2025

However, this mentality creates an environment where mistakes are punished, not learned from. —Charles Fallon, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English punisshen, from Anglo-French puniss-, stem of punir, from Latin punire, from poena penalty — more at pain entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

punish

verb

pun·​ish ˈpən-ish 

1

: to cause to experience pain or suffering for having done wrong

punish criminals with imprisonment

2

: to inflict punishment for

punish misbehavior

3

: to deal with or handle severely or roughly

badly punished by an opponent

punishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective

punisher noun

Legal Definition

punish

transitive verb

pun·​ish ˈpə-nish 

1

: to impose a penalty on for a fault, offense, or violation

2

: to inflict a penalty for the commission of (an offense) in retribution or retaliation or as a deterrent

intransitive verb

: to inflict punishment

punishability

ˌpə-ni-shə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

punishable

ˈpə-ni-shə-bəl 

adjective

punisher noun