What does "punishing" mean?

1. (physically or mentally demanding) extremely difficult and tiring, often because it requires a lot of effort over a long time. 2. (harsh or damaging) very harsh or severe, often causing damage or pain.

How do you use "punishing"?

Often used to describe schedules, workouts, or workloads. Commonly collocates with weather conditions like 'heat' or 'cold', or economic terms like 'taxes' or 'tariffs'.

punishing

adj.

US //ˈpənɪʃɪŋ// UK //pˈʌnɪʃɪŋ// pun·ish·ing

1 physically or mentally demanding (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

extremely difficult and tiring, often because it requires a lot of effort over a long time.

extremely arduous or gruelling; requiring an exhausting amount of physical or mental exertion.

Example

The athletes had a punishing training schedule before the big race.

Example

The mountain climbers faced a punishing ascent, battling both the steep terrain and the thinning oxygen levels near the summit.

Usage

Often used to describe schedules, workouts, or workloads.

Teacher's tip

Remind students that while 'punish' is about a penalty, 'punishing' usually describes the difficulty of a task rather than a literal punishment.
2 harsh or damaging (adj.)
C1 Advanced Formal

very harsh or severe, often causing damage or pain.

inflicting severe pain, damage, or hardship; often used figuratively to describe economic or environmental conditions.

Example

The farmers struggled to survive during the punishing heat of the summer.

Example

The small business was unable to withstand the punishing taxes imposed by the new local administration.

Usage

Commonly collocates with weather conditions like 'heat' or 'cold', or economic terms like 'taxes' or 'tariffs'.
- mild
- gentle