ENGLISH
REFERENCE

penalized

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpinəˌɫaɪzd// pe·nal·ized

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.


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.

Synonyms
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.

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