Word
penalized
Phoneticspe·nal·ized
/ˈpinəˌɫaɪzd/
UK spelling · penalised
Definition
adj. feeling like you are being punished or treated unfairly because of a rule or a situation.
adj. subjected to a penalty or disadvantage; experiencing a negative consequence due to a specific action or condition. Often used to describe a state of being at a systematic disadvantage.
Examples
“I felt penalized by the new rules at work.”
“Small businesses often feel penalized by complex tax laws that are easier for large corporations to manage.”
“The athlete felt unfairly penalized by the committee's decision to strip her of the medal, arguing that the substance found in her system was part of a prescribed medication.”
Examples
simple
“I felt penalized by the new rules at work.”
contextual
“Small businesses often feel penalized by complex tax laws that are easier for large corporations to manage.”
complex
“The athlete felt unfairly penalized by the committee's decision to strip her of the medal, arguing that the substance found in her system was part of a prescribed medication.”
Usage
Often follows a linking verb like 'feel', 'seem', or 'be'.
Pitfall
The referee penalized to the player.
The referee penalized the player.
When used as a verb, it is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.
Real-World Examples
“It should only apply when the referee has, for instance, penalised Team A for handball, but the handball was by Team B.” “He was penalised for 45 fouls in the league last season, a mark he hit in all four of his full campaigns with Newcastle.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/penalized