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   punish

   /ˈpʌnɪʃ/

   verb

   • 1. inflict a penalty or sanction on (someone) as retribution for an offence, especially a transgression of a legal or moral code: "I have done wrong and I'm being punished for it" Similar penalizedisciplinemete out punishment tobring someone to bookteach someone a lessonmake an example oftan/whip someone's hideinformal:getscalpmurderwallopthumpgive it to someonethrow the book atcome down on (like a ton of bricks)have someone's guts for gartersskin alivedrop ongive someone what fortear downdated:chastisearchaic:chastenrecompensevisitOpposite pardonexonerate
   • ▪ inflict a penalty or sanction on someone for (such an offence): "fraudulent acts would be punished by up to two years in prison"
   • ▪ capitalize on (an opponent's mistake), especially in sport: "Australia punished Ireland's handling blunders and scored three tries" Similar exploittake advantage ofput to advantageusemake use ofturn to (one's) accountprofit by/fromcapitalize oncash in ontrade oninformal:walk all over
   • ▪ treat (someone) in an unfairly harsh way: "a rise in prescription charges would punish the poor" Similar treat harshly/unfairlybe unfair tounfairly disadvantageput at an unfair disadvantageput in an unfavourable positionhandicapdo a disservice tomake someone sufferhurtwrongill-usemaltreat
   • ▪ subject to severe and debilitating treatment.

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French puniss-, lengthened stem of punir ‘punish’, from Latin punire, from poena ‘penalty’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. punisher noun

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • P

     3

   • U

     1

   • N

     1

   • I

     1

   • S

     1

   • H

     4

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