punish
to cause someone who has done something wrong or committed a crime to suffer, by hurting them, forcing them to pay money, sending them to prison, etc.
تنبيه كردن، ادب كردن،
He punished his children.
او فرزندانش را تنبیه کرد.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
punish
verb (punishes, punishing, punished )
to make somebody suffer because they have done something wrong:
The children were punished for telling lies.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
punish
pun‧ish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Word Family: adjective: ↑punishable, ↑punishing, ↑unpunished, ↑punitive; verb: ↑punish; noun: ↑punishment]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: punir, from Latin punire, from poena; ⇨ ↑pain1]
1. to make someone suffer because they have done something wrong or broken the law ⇨ punishment, punitive:
Smacking is not an acceptable way of punishing a child.
He promised to punish severely any officials found guilty of electoral fraud.
punish somebody for (doing) something
It’s unfair to punish a whole class for the actions of one or two students.
They deserve to be punished for putting passengers at risk.
I felt I was being punished for what my mother had done.
punish somebody by doing something
My parents decided to punish me by withdrawing financial support.
punish somebody with something
The House voted to punish the senator with a formal reprimand.
2. [usually passive] if a crime is punished in a particular way, anyone who is guilty of it is made to suffer in that way ⇨ punishment, punitive
punish by/with
In some societies, theft is punished by death.
3. punish yourself to make yourself feel guilty or bad for something you have done:
If you fail, don’t punish yourself.
THESAURUS
▪ punish to do something unpleasant to someone because they have done something wrong or broken the law: Drug smugglers are severely punished. | She wanted to punish him for deceiving her.
▪ fine to make someone pay money as a punishment: The company was fined for safety violations.
▪ sentence if a judge sentences a criminal, he or she gives them an official punishment, usually sending them to prison for a period of time: The judge sentenced Margolis to a year in prison.
▪ penalize (also penalise British English) to officially punish someone, especially by taking away their right to do something or by limiting their freedom in some way: New laws will penalize firms that continue to pollute the environment.
▪ discipline to punish someone who has broken the rules of an organization that they belong to or work for: Officers are expected to discipline soldiers who do not keep their uniforms in good condition.
▪ come down hard on somebody informal to punish someone or criticize them severely: The judge came down hard on Harris, saying that his crime was ‘inexcusable’.
▪ make an example of somebody to punish someone so that other people are afraid to do the same thing: Athletics officials felt they had to make an example of him for using banned drugs.
▪ teach somebody a lesson informal to do something in order to show someone that they must not do something again, when they have behaved very badly: I didn't want to hurt him - I just wanted teach him a lesson. | Maybe a night in jail will teach him a lesson.
▪ make somebody pay (for something) informal to make someone wish they had never done something, by making them suffer: We should make him pay for all the mischief he's caused!
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
punish
pun·ish [punish punishes punished punishing] [ˈpʌnɪʃ] [ˈpʌnɪʃ] verb
1. to make sb suffer because they have broken the law or done sth wrong
• ~ sb Those responsible for this crime will be severely punished.
• My parents used to punish me by not letting me watch TV.
• ~ sb for sth/for doing sth He was punished for refusing to answer their questions.
2. ~ sth (by/with sth) to set the punishment for a particular crime
• In those days murder was always punished with the death penalty.
3. ~ yourself (for sth) to blame yourself for sth that has happened
Verb forms:
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French puniss-, lengthened stem of punir ‘punish’, from Latin punire, from poena ‘penalty’.
Thesaurus:
punish verb T
• He was punished for refusing to answer their questions.
discipline • • penalize • • sentence • |informal come down on sb •
Opp: reward
punish/discipline/penalize/sentence/come down on sb for doing sth
punish/penalize/sentence/come down on an offender
punish/penalize (bad, unacceptable, etc.) behaviour
Example Bank:
• Damages are not designed to punish, but to compensate for the loss sustained.
• He was trying to punish her for deserting him all those years ago.
• Never punish children by making them go hungry.
• Offenders will be punished with a £1 000 fine.
• They will be severely punished for their crimes.
• Those found guilty will be punished accordingly.
• Those who had opposed the court were duly punished.
• He is guilty of contempt of court and is liable to be punished accordingly.
• I would not hesitate to condemn and punish unacceptable behaviour.
• The state is no longer effective in punishing crime.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
punish / ˈpʌn.ɪʃ / verb [ T ] (CRIME)
B1 to cause someone who has done something wrong or committed a crime to suffer, by hurting them, forcing them to pay money, sending them to prison, etc.:
Those responsible for these crimes must be brought to court and punished.
He punished the class by giv ing them extra work.
The oil company was found guilty on ten counts of pollution, and was punished with a $250 million fine.
→ See also punitive
to punish anyone who commits a particular crime:
Drunken driving can be punished with a prison sentence.
punish / ˈpʌn.ɪʃ / verb [ T ] (TREAT BADLY)
to use or treat something badly, violently, or without care:
He really punishes that horse of his.
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
punish
[pʌ̱nɪʃ]
punishes, punishing, punished
1) VERB To punish someone means to make them suffer in some way because they have done something wrong.
[V n] I don't believe that George ever had to punish the children...
[V n] According to present law, the authorities can only punish smugglers with small fines...
[V n for n] Don't punish your child for being honest.
2) VERB To punish a crime means to punish anyone who commits that crime.
[V n] The government voted to punish corruption in sport with up to four years in jail...
[V n] Such behaviour is unacceptable and will be punished.
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
punish
pun·ish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ verb -ish·es; -ished; -ish·ing [+ obj]
1 a : to make (someone) suffer for a crime or for bad behavior
• I think that murderers should be punished by/with life imprisonment.
• She was punished for lying.
• His parents punished him by taking away his allowance.
b : to make someone suffer for (a crime or bad behavior)
• How should I punish my child's misbehavior?
• State law punishes fraud with fines.
• The law states that treason shall be punished by death. [=that the punishment for treason is death]
2 : to treat (someone or something) severely or roughly
• I don't understand why women continue to punish [=damage] their feet by wearing high-heeled shoes.
