Word
punishment
Phoneticspun·ish·ment, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpənɪʃmənt/
UK/pˈʌnɪʃmənt/
Definitions
01penalty for wrongdoing
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a penalty you receive for breaking a rule or doing something bad.
n. a penalty or sanction imposed by an authority for a transgression, crime, or breach of rules.
日本語:処罰※
“His punishment for arriving late to class was staying behind to clean the boards.”
“The judge determined that the appropriate punishment for the offence would be community service rather than a custodial sentence.”
Synonyms
02harsh treatment
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. very rough or hard treatment that causes damage or pain.
n. severe or rough treatment, often used figuratively to describe physical wear or damage to an object.
“These hiking boots are designed to take a lot of punishment on rocky trails.”
“The small coastal town took a heavy punishment from the storm, with several buildings suffering significant structural damage.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “punishment” in context.
Verb
01. deserve punishment
“The judge believed that the criminal did not deserve such a light punishment.”
verb + noun
02. escape punishment
“He was lucky to escape punishment after he was caught breaking the school rules.”
verb + noun
03. receive a punishment
“Students who cheat on their exams will receive a severe punishment.”
verb + adj + noun
Adjective
04. capital punishment
“Many countries have decided to abolish capital punishment for all crimes.”
adj + noun
05. corporal punishment
“Corporal punishment, such as hitting children, is now illegal in many schools.”
adj + noun
06. harsh punishment
“The public felt that a ten-year sentence was a harsh punishment for a minor theft.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. fear of punishment
“Some people only follow the law because of their fear of punishment.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. as a punishment
“The teacher made him stay after school as a punishment for his bad behavior.”
prep + adj + noun
Etymology
From Middle English punishement, from Old French punissement, from punir (“to punish”). Equivalent to punish + -ment. Displaced native Old English wīte.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/punishment
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0