punish

Meaning

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).
2. (figuratively, transitive) To treat harshly and unfairly.
3. (colloquial, transitive) To handle or beat severely; to maul.
4. (colloquial, transitive) To consume a large quantity of.

Synonyms

chastise

penalize

discipline

chasten

castigate

beat

hurt

scourge

fine

penalise

torture

sentence

strike

hit

harm

injure

correct

torment

whip

thrash

trouble

avenge

attack

👊

beat up

reprimand

execute

law

amerce

give someone a lesson

abuse

pain

teach a lesson

admonish

command

teach someone a lesson

ill-treat

smite

retribution

scold

reproach

overpower

revenge

persecute

judge

🧑‍⚖️

instruct

mistreat

punishment

decide

cure

crucify

Translations

punir

castigar

punire

strafen

bestrafen

castigare

straffen

castigar

punir

châtier

bestraffen

züchtigen

sanctionner

τιμωρώ

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpʌnɪʃ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: punischen

In summary

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