Synonyms

punish

American

[puhn-ish] / ˈpʌn ɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault.

The goal of the court is to punish the criminal for the crime he has committed.

Synonyms:

penalize, discipline, castigate, chastise

Antonyms:

reward
to inflict a penalty for (an offense, fault, etc.).

Unconditional imprisonment is imposed to punish past transgressions.

Synonyms:

penalize

Antonyms:

reward
to mistreat, abuse, or hurt.

Additional tariffs will punish working families with higher prices on household basics.
to handle severely or roughly, as in a fight.
to put to painful exertion, as a horse in racing.
Informal. to make a heavy inroad on; deplete.

to punish a quart of whiskey.

verb (used without object)

to inflict punishment.

punish British

/ ˈpʌnɪʃ /

verb

to force (someone) to undergo a penalty or sanction, such as imprisonment, fines, death, etc, for some crime or misdemeanour
(tr) to inflict punishment for (some crime, etc)
(tr) to use or treat harshly or roughly, esp as by overexertion

to punish a horse
informal (tr) to consume (some commodity) in large quantities

to punish the bottle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

Punish, correct, discipline refer to making evident public or private disapproval of violations of law, wrongdoing, or refusal to obey rules or regulations by imposing penalties. To punish is chiefly to inflict penalty or pain as a retribution for misdeeds, with little or no expectation of correction or improvement: to punish a thief. To correct is to reprove or inflict punishment for faults, specifically with the idea of bringing about improvement: to correct a rebellious child. To discipline is to give a kind of punishment that will educate or will establish useful habits: to discipline a careless driver.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of punish

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English punischen, from Middle French puniss-, long stem of punir, from Latin pūnīre; akin to poena penalty, pain

Explanation

To punish is to discipline or penalize someone because they've done something wrong. If you stole the cookie from the cookie jar, someone may have to punish you. Not you? Then who? A judge will often punish a guilty defendant with community service or parole — or sometimes even with time spent in prison, if the crime is serious enough. You probably punish your puppy for chewing your shoes simply with a firm "No!" Sometimes people are punished unfairly, like how higher gas prices punish the people who can already barely afford to drive to their jobs.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the campaigners behind Thursday's report believe more is needed to ensure full transparency, calling in particular for a legally-binding lobby register that would punish companies and groups posting inaccurate data.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Panish told jurors in Van Nuys that they needed to award punitive damages not only to punish Grossman and Erickson but also to send a message about their conduct.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

In the current environment, good economic news pushes bond yields higher, and higher yields punish stock prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

Our legal system seems well prepared to scrutinize and punish their acts of self-preservation instead of examining the circumstances that made those acts necessary.

From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026

If they punish you in the morning, they know you’ll be taking care of those cows very well for the day.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023