Definition

1. Verb:
   • To impose a penalty or negative consequence on someone for an offense, fault, or misbehavior.
   • To cause someone to suffer for a wrongdoing, typically as a means of correction or retribution.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • The teacher had to punish the student for cheating on the exam.
  • The law punishes dangerous driving with severe fines.
  • How should we punish a child who tells a lie?

Advanced Usage

• "to punish severely/harshly": to give a very strict or severe penalty.
  • The court decided to punish the corrupt official severely.
• "to punish oneself": to impose feelings of guilt or hardship on oneself, often mentally.
  • He tends to punish himself for past mistakes.
• "to punish an opponent" (in sports/competition): to defeat an opponent decisively or exploit their weakness.
  • The champion punished his rival's defensive errors.

Variants and Related Words

• Punishment (n): The act of punishing or the penalty imposed.
  • The punishment must fit the crime.
• Punishable (adj): Describing an act that can or should be punished.
  • Driving under the influence is a punishable offense.
• Punitive (adj): Intended as punishment; inflicting or involving punishment.
  • The government imposed punitive tariffs.

Synonyms

• Penalize: To subject to a penalty, especially for breaking a rule.
• Discipline: To train or correct by punishment.
• Chastise: To reprimand or criticize severely.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Punish" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. Its meaning is typically conveyed directly or with adverbs.)

Related Idioms

• To throw the book at someone: To punish someone as severely as possible.
  • The judge threw the book at the repeat offender.
• To get one's just deserts: To receive the punishment one deserves.
  • The criminal finally got his just deserts.

Verb

1. impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on
   • The students were penalized for showing up late for class
   • we had to punish the dog for soiling the floor again