punish
Impose a penalty
To punish is to impose a penalty for wrongdoing—a parent punishes a child, a court punishes a criminal.
The aim may be correction, deterrence, or retribution.
Extended uses describe harsh treatment: The boxer punished his opponent with body shots.
Weather punishes crops; a difficult hike punishes the legs.
To punish food or drink is to consume large quantities: We punished that pizza.
Formal expression of disapproval
- scoldRebuke harshly
- chastiseReprimand severely for wrongdoing
- admonishReprove with counsel
- correctFree from error
rebuke · reproach · censure · berate · lecture · ground · timeout · spank
Complete thought, grammatically
- convictJailed offender after trial
- prosecuteBring criminal charges
- fineAcceptable in quality
- incarcerateConfine in detention
imprison · sanction · indict · trial · verdict · conviction · court · judge
Retaliation for injury
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- reprisalPunitive action in return
- comeuppanceDeserved punishment or rebuke
revenge · avenge · eye for an eye · tit-for-tat · settle scores · get even · reciprocate · backlash
Unpleasantly severe or rough
- brutalSavagely harsh or severe
- cruelWillfully causing suffering
- severeExtremely harsh or strict
- sternStrict or ship's aft
strict · draconian · merciless · ruthless · heavy-handed · unforgiving · oppressive · torturous
Alert about danger
- preventionStopping something before occurring
- exampleRepresentative case shown
- lessonUnit of teaching
- discouragementLoss of confidence
dissuasion · cautionary · disincentive · scare · threat · consequence · intimidation · admonition
reprimand
Formal expression of disapproval
correct · rebuke · reproach · censure · berate · lecture · ground · timeout · spank · cane
sentence
Complete thought, grammatically
incarcerate · imprison · sanction · indict · trial · verdict · conviction · court · judge · parole
vengeance
Retaliation for injury
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- reprisalPunitive action in return
comeuppance · revenge · avenge · eye for an eye · tit-for-tat · settle scores · get even · reciprocate · backlash · counterblow
harsh
Unpleasantly severe or rough
stern · strict · draconian · merciless · ruthless · heavy-handed · unforgiving · oppressive · torturous · barbaric
warning
Alert about danger
- preventionStopping something before occurring
- exampleRepresentative case shown
- lessonUnit of teaching
discouragement · dissuasion · cautionary · disincentive · scare · threat · consequence · intimidation · admonition · object lesson
wallop
Forceful strike or defeat
- thrashBeat violently or defeat utterly
- clobberDefeat or strike decisively
- pummelStrike repeatedly with fists
trounce · hammer · cream · destroy · demolish · beat · whip · drub · rout · shellac
- fighting movespunch, uppercut, kick, jab, elbow strike
- gaming tacticsflanking, positioning, baiting, rushing, turtling
- disapprovaldisapproval, scowl, disapprove, disapproves, frown
- dog trainingdown, come, wait, treats, quiet
- scoldingscold, scolding, rebuke, berate, reprimand
- oppressoppress, persecute, tyrannize, subjugate, dominate
- capital punishmentExecution by legal authority
- glutton for punishmentOne who seeks suffering
- sucker for punishmentOne who invites suffering
- corporal punishmentInflicting pain as penalty
- divine punishmentJudgment from a deity
- physical punishmentPain-based behavioral correction
punishment, punished, punishing, punitive, punishes, impunity, punisher, punishingly