punish

verb

pun·​ish ˈpə-nish How to pronounce punish (audio)
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
punishability noun
punishable adjective
punisher noun
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 commission cited a May 2023 Washington Post investigation which found the cameras have been used to punish residents and catch them in minor violations to pursue evictions, such as smoking in the wrong area or removing a cart from a laundry room. Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 The whole student body are thus to be punished for the actions of just a few. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 22 Sep. 2024 Trump’s threat was uninformed and ill-intended; clearly meant only to punish California and its governor for being a liberal state. Robin Epley, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024 Wanda defeats Agatha and punishes the dark witch by trapping her inside her own mind. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for punish 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of punish was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near punish

Cite this Entry

“Punish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punish. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

punish

verb
pun·​ish ˈpən-ish How to pronounce punish (audio)
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 adjective
punisher noun

Legal Definition

punish

transitive verb
pun·​ish ˈpə-nish How to pronounce punish (audio)
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 noun
punishable adjective
punisher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on punish

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