punish — to impose a penalty on someone for wrongdoing
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to impose a penalty on someone for wrongdoing
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpʌnɪʃ/
Example Sentences
- My mom punished me by taking away my gaming console for a month
- The court will punish tax evaders with heavy fines
- Don't punish yourself for making that mistake - everyone learns from failures
punish
VERB[/ˈpʌnɪʃ/]
to impose a penalty on someone for wrongdoing
to impose a penalty on someone for wrongdoing
Punish to finish, watch errors diminish
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin 'punire', meaning 'to inflict punishment' or 'to penalize'. This term was commonly used in ancient Rome to describe the imposition of penalties on criminals and has continued into modern English with largely unchanged meaning.
Breakdown
Latin 'punire' (to punish) + English suffix '-ish' (variant form). The core Latin root 'pun-' relates to 'poena' (penalty, pain), forming the conceptual basis for imposing consequences.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom punished me by taking away my gaming console for a month”
“The court will punish tax evaders with heavy fines”
“Don't punish yourself for making that mistake - everyone learns from failures”
“The soccer coach punished the late players by making them run extra laps”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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