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punish

v.
US //ˈpənɪʃ// UK //pˈʌnɪʃ// pun·ish
  1. 1 to penalise for a crime (v.)
    B1 Intermediate Law

    to make someone suffer or pay a fine because they broke a rule or a law.

    to impose a penalty on someone as retribution for an offence, crime, or violation of rules.

    Example

    The judge decided to punish the thief with a heavy fine and community service.

    Example

    The legal system is designed to punish offenders in a way that reflects the severity of their crimes while discouraging future misconduct.

    Usage

    Often used with the preposition 'for' to indicate the reason for the penalty.
    Pitfall
    The teacher punished to the student for talking.
    The teacher punished the student for talking.

    The verb 'punish' is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.

  2. 2 to treat harshly (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to use something so roughly that you damage it.

    to subject an object or one's own body to severe or taxing treatment.

    Example

    Running on concrete every day can really punish your knees.

    Example

    The rough mountain terrain will punish the car's suspension if you drive too quickly over the rocks.
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  1. 3 to consume a lot (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Informal British English

    to eat or drink a very large amount of something quickly.

    to consume a significant quantity of food or drink, often with speed or enthusiasm.

    Example

    The teenagers really punished the pizza, leaving only a few crumbs behind.

    Example

    After the long hike, the group sat down and proceeded to punish a large tray of sandwiches and several jugs of water.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is highly informal and mostly found in British or Australian English; it implies a humorous exaggeration of how much was eaten.
Origin

From Middle English punischen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French puniss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of punir, from Latin puniō (“I inflict punishment upon”), from poena (“punishment, penalty”); see pain. Displaced Old English wītnian and (mostly, in this sense) wrecan.

Word family

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