Synonyms for punish
ˈpʌn ɪʃpun·ish

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:4.0 / 2 votes

1. punishverb

   Synonyms:
   castigate

2. punishverb

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

   Synonyms:
   castigate

3. punishverb

   To cause great harm to. (a punishing blow)

   Synonyms:
   castigate

4. punishverb

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

   Synonyms:
   castigate

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 2 votes

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 AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. punish

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

   Antonyms:
   reward, recompense, remunerate, indemnify

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.2 / 5 votes

1. punish, penalize, penaliseverb

   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

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. punishverb

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

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. punishverb

   Synonyms:
   chastise, castigate, chasten, discipline

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "punish":

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

Suggested Resources

1. punish

   Song lyrics by punish -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by punish on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use punish in a sentence?

1. Abdul Baha, Paris Talks, p. 154:

   If a person commit a crime against you, have not the right to forgive him; but the law must punish him in order to prevent a repetition of that same crime by others, as the pain of the individual is unimportant beside the general welfare of the people.

2. Peter King:

   He’s dangerous to the party and dangerous to the country. that’s not to punish him but to send the signal to everyone, including Washington, that he has to go.

3. David Ogilvy:

   Never write an advertisement which you wouldn't want your own family to read. You wouldn't tell lies to your own wife. Don't tell them to mine. Do as you would be done by. If you tell lies about a product, you will be found out -- either by the Government, which will prosecute you, or by the consumer, who will punish you by not buying your product a second time. Good products can be sold by honest advertising. If you don't think the product is good, you have no business to be advertising it.

4. Osorio Chong:

   Our objectives are clear, recapture this criminal and punish each of his accomplices, it won't be easy.

5. Mohammad Hassan:

   There are eight gates at the corps, i request the government to punish those who helped those terrorists.