(transitive, figuratively) To treat harshly and unfairly.
Used in a Sentence
punish
Definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for punish.
Editorial note
People tend to forget that the job of the police is to apprehend not punish.
Examples15
Definitions4
Parts of speech1
Quick take
(transitive, figuratively) To treat harshly and unfairly.
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of punish gathered in one view.
(transitive, colloquial) To handle or beat severely; to maul.
(transitive, colloquial) To consume a large quantity of.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for punish.
verb
(transitive, figuratively) To treat harshly and unfairly.
verb
(transitive, colloquial) To handle or beat severely; to maul.
verb
(transitive, colloquial) To consume a large quantity of.
verb
(transitive) 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).
Example sentences
People tend to forget that the job of the police is to apprehend not punish.
> One way you could fix the system is to punish the trolls for knowingly peddling invalid patents...
How do you offer risk/reward, and punish the player in a way that they keep coming back?
Insider trading is a crime because it's valuable for the executive class to punish early defectors.
If you punish people for something, then it's inherently not a right, because if it's a right then the goal is for everyone to have one if they want it.
Problem with retaliation is attribution; it can be hard to know just who should punish.
So, here is my reasoning: you say that you think it's a good idea to punish people for getting a fair trial.
But when they do something that users actually don't like, users punish them in the most harsh way possible: with their wallets.
If Google doesn't like it, it is free to quit France, and the french will be free to punish their government for it.
The bit where the state says they'll punish you if you don't comply---if you don't stop talking about the things they want kept quiet?
Sanctions don't prevent bad behavior, they punish bad behavior as a deterrent.
And every cop has the right to punish you for it.
Quote examples
It only shows they have the "punish someone" mentality, at the cost of Eurozone's future.
You send ten more drones on different missions to some daycare or something to "punish" the enemy for breaking the Geneva convention.
Were they to overtly use their position to "punish" the content companies in this way, they would be jumped on by regulators everywhere for abusing a monopoly power.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use punish in a sentence?
People tend to forget that the job of the police is to apprehend not punish.
What does punish mean?
(transitive, figuratively) To treat harshly and unfairly.
What part of speech is punish?
punish is commonly used as verb.