punishment
Price for wrongdoing
Punishment is the infliction of penalty or suffering for wrongdoing.
Courts impose punishment on convicted criminals; parents punish misbehaving children.
The word extends to any harsh treatment: My knees took a lot of punishment on that hike.
To punish can also mean to defeat soundly or exploit ruthlessly: They punished every defensive mistake.
Complete thought, grammatically
- verdictOfficial court decision
- fineAcceptable in quality
- sanctionApproval or punitive measure
- convictionFirmly held belief
trial · court · judge · prosecution · incarceration · imprisonment · probation · parole
Striking the buttocks
- groundingConnecting to earth
- timeoutBrief suspension of play
- scoldingHarsh verbal criticism
- reprimandFormal expression of disapproval
strictness · obedience · chastisement · curfew · detention · suspension · expulsion · corner
Recovery from injury/addiction
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
- probationSupervised trial period
- paroleConditional early release
community service · restorative justice · counseling · therapy · halfway house · work release · anger management · recidivism
Retaliation for injury
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- reprisalPunitive action in return
- revengePunishing a wrongdoer
comeuppance · karma · nemesis · wrath · tit-for-tat · requital · redress · just deserts
Stopping something before occurring
- dissuasionConvincing someone not to
- warningAlert about danger
- fearEmotional response to threat
- intimidationDeliberate fear-inducing pressure
threat · discouragement · example · cautionary · compliance · enforcement · prohibition · inhibition
sentence
Complete thought, grammatically
conviction · trial · court · judge · prosecution · incarceration · imprisonment · probation · parole · life sentence
spanking
Striking the buttocks
reprimand · strictness · obedience · chastisement · curfew · detention · suspension · expulsion · corner · consequences
rehabilitation
Recovery from injury/addiction
- reformImprove by correcting faults
- incarcerationConfinement in jail
- probationSupervised trial period
parole · community service · restorative justice · counseling · therapy · halfway house · work release · anger management · recidivism · reintegration
vengeance
Retaliation for injury
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- reprisalPunitive action in return
revenge · comeuppance · karma · nemesis · wrath · tit-for-tat · requital · redress · just deserts · reckoning
prevention
Stopping something before occurring
- dissuasionConvincing someone not to
- warningAlert about danger
- fearEmotional response to threat
intimidation · threat · discouragement · example · cautionary · compliance · enforcement · prohibition · inhibition · disincentive
beating
Repeated striking or pulsing
spanking · lashing · birching · paddling · strapping · switch · rod · belt · smacking · physical
repercussion
Indirect result of action
- ramificationSecondary consequence of action
- outcomeFinal result of events
- resultWhat follows a cause
aftermath · fallout · backlash · blowback · effect · impact · upshot · price · cost · suffering
- deterrentsguard dog, warning, security camera, padlock, pepper spray
- disciplinemisconduct, violation, time-out, timeout, grounded
- ethical consequencesguilt, shame, regret, remorse, blame
- justice themestrial, verdict, judge, jury, lawyer
- Parenting Teensadolescence, puberty, rebellion, teen rebellion, curfew
- behavior controlbehavior modification, conditioning, reinforcement, reward, consequence
punishmentreward
Payment for service
positive reinforcement · praise · reinforcement · commendation · prize
punishmentacquittal
Formal clearing of charges
exoneration · pardon · absolution · vindication · amnesty
punishmentforgiveness
Releasing resentment toward offenders
mercy · absolution · pardon · grace · condonation
- 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