# punished

/ˈpənɪʃt/ (US) · /pˈʌnɪʃt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/punished
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. past action of penalising

verb · CEFR A2

to have given someone a penalty or made them suffer because they broke a rule or law.

For teachers: the past tense of punish, indicating that a penalty was imposed for a transgression or crime.

- The teacher punished the students by making them stay after school.
- The court punished the corporation with a heavy fine after investigators discovered they had been dumping toxic waste into the local river.

### 2. having received a penalty

adjective · CEFR B1

describing someone who has been given a penalty for doing something wrong.

For teachers: functioning as a participial adjective to describe a person or entity that has undergone a penalty or disciplinary action.

- The punished child sat quietly in the corner of the room.
- The punished athlete was forced to watch the championship from the sidelines, regretting the decision that led to his suspension.

## Examples

- The teacher punished the student for talking during the test.
- The judge punished the company with a heavy fine for breaking environmental safety laws.
- Historians argue that the treaty was designed to ensure the defeated nation was punished so severely that it could never pose a military threat again.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.