punish

[puhn-ish] /ˈpʌn ɪʃ/
verb (used with object)
1.
to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault:
to punish a criminal.
2.
to inflict a penalty for (an offense, fault, etc.):
to punish theft.
3.
to handle severely or roughly, as in a fight.
4.
to put to painful exertion, as a horse in racing.
5.
Informal. to make a heavy inroad on; deplete:
to punish a quart of whiskey.
verb (used without object)
6.
to inflict punishment.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English punischen < Middle French puniss-, long stem of punir < Latin pūnīre; akin to poena penalty, pain
Related forms
punisher, noun
overpunish, verb
prepunish, verb (used with object)
quasi-punished, adjective
repunish, verb
self-punished, adjective
self-punisher, noun
unpunished, adjective
well-punished, adjective
Synonyms
1. chastise, castigate. 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. 1, 2. penalize.
Antonyms
1, 2. reward.
Examples from the web for punish
  • It creates a theoretical accountability that could help punish perpetrators.
  • Some of these battles were purely exhibits of supremacy or to punish recalcitrant local leaders.
  • The stock market will punish manipulators and excessive granters.
  • It doesn't make a lot of sense to punish you for it.
  • The great danger is that they will seek a way to punish it, as destructive for everybody as that might be.
  • We shouldn't punish scientists for not doing the impossible.
  • To really punish us effectively, you need to find a way to really get into our heads and aim straight for our geeky psyches.
  • Cultivate your awareness, expand your center, and you won't have to punish yourself.
  • If the intention was to punish speculators, there is also cause for concern.
  • We as citizen's punish politicians who look more than a few years down the road and present a plan.
British Dictionary definitions for punish

punish

/ˈpʌnɪʃ/
verb
1.
to force (someone) to undergo a penalty or sanction, such as imprisonment, fines, death, etc, for some crime or misdemeanour
2.
(transitive) to inflict punishment for (some crime, etc)
3.
(transitive) to use or treat harshly or roughly, esp as by overexertion: to punish a horse
4.
(transitive) (informal) to consume (some commodity) in large quantities: to punish the bottle
Derived Forms
punisher, noun
punishing, adjective
punishingly, adverb
Word Origin
C14 punisse, from Old French punir, from Latin pūnīre to punish, from poena penalty
Word Origin and History for punish
v.

c.1300, from Old French puniss-, extended present participle stem of punir "to punish," from Latin punire "punish, correct, chastise; take vengeance for; inflict a penalty on, cause pain for some offense," earlier poenire, from poena "penalty, punishment" (see penal). Colloquial meaning "to inflict heavy damage or loss" is first recorded 1801, originally in boxing. Related: Punished; punishing.