punish
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).
Verb 4 meanings
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).
“If a prince violates the law, then he must be punished like an ordinary person.”
To treat harshly and unfairly.
To handle or beat severely; to maul.
To consume a large quantity of.
Etymology
From Middle English punischen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French puniss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of punir, from Latin puniō (“to inflict punishment upon”), from poena (“punishment, penalty”); see pain. Displaced Old English wītnian and (mostly, in this sense) wrecan.
Similar and opposite words
PUNISH at a glance
PUNISH has 6 letters and scores 11 points in Scrabble (P 3 + U 1 + N 1 + I 1 + S 1 + H 4) and 13 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #7,607 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with punish
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