Synonyms for punish
ˈpʌn ɪʃ

Princeton's WordNet(3.20 / 5 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. punish, penalize, penalise(verb)

   impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on

   "The students were penalized for showing up late for class"; "we had to punish the dog for soiling the floor again"

   Synonyms:
   penalize, penalise

Wiktionary(4.00 / 2 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. punish(verb)

   Synonyms:
   castigate

2. punish(verb)

   To cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action.

   Synonyms:
   castigate

3. punish(verb)

   To cause great harm to. (a punishing blow)

   Synonyms:
   castigate

4. punish(verb)

   To dumb down severely or to the point of uselessness or near-uselessness.

   Synonyms:
   castigate

English Synonyms and Antonyms(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. punish

   Avenge and revenge, once close synonyms, are now far apart in meaning. To avenge is to visit some offense with punishment, in order to vindicate the righteous, or to uphold and illustrate the right by the suffering or destruction of the wicked. "And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian," Acts vii, 24. To revenge is to inflict harm or suffering upon another through personal anger and resentment at something done to ourselves. Avenge is unselfish; revenge is selfish. Revenge, according to present usage, could not be said of God. To retaliate may be necessary for self-defense, without the idea of revenge. Compare REVENGE.

   Synonyms:
   avenge, retaliate, revenge, vindicate, visit

   Preposition:
   Avenge on or upon (rarely, avenge oneself of) a wrong-doer.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. punish

   Synonyms:
   chastise, castigate, chasten, correct, whip, scourge

   Antonyms:
   reward, recompense, remunerate, indemnify

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. punish(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   chastise, castigate, lash, chasten, discipline, correct, scourge, whip

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. punish(v)

   Synonyms:
   chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline

PPDB, the paraphrase database(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "punish":

   punishing, penalise, penalize, sanction, punishment, suppress, chastise, flog, smite, criminalize, suppression, repress, penalties

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How to use punish in a sentence?

1. Shelly Hickman:

   The idea that we would punish a victim for being a victim is reprehensible.

2. Daniel Defoe:

   I hear much of people's calling out to punish the guilty, but very few are concerned to clear the innocent.

3. Ehsan Sehgal:

   It always shocks and astonishes me that why do jealous people punish themselves.

4. Lee Goodman:

   All press organizations should be concerned when the government asserts regulatory authority to punish and censor news coverage.

5. Mustafa Alani:

   They're under pressure inside to punish people like him, especially among Salafis. It is a question of the legitimacy of the state. You have to remember those people are very influential at a street level.

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