punish
(verb)
past tense: punished
LISTEN
Punish means to cause someone pain as a penalty for something.
- If you hit your brother, you will be punished.
- The judge punished the speeding driver with a fine.
Punish also means ‘to treat harshly or hurt.’
- George punishes his tires when he drives on that rough road.
- When you drink too much, you punish your body.
Related words
punishment: penalty assigned for an offense. Example: “The punishment for robbing the bank was 10 years in prison.”
punishable: deserving of punishment. Example: “Lying during a trial is a punishable offense.”
In pop culture
Listen to Johnny Cash sing “Why Do You Punish Me?”
There are other meanings of punish.
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