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punishing

pun·ish·ing
P p

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [puhn-i-shing]
    • /ˈpʌn ɪ ʃɪŋ/
    • /ˈpʌn.ɪ.ʃɪŋ/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [puhn-i-shing]
    • /ˈpʌn ɪ ʃɪŋ/

Definitions of punishing word

  • adjective punishing causing or characterized by harsh or injurious treatment; severe; brutal: The storm was accompanied by punishing winds. 1
  • verb with object punishing to subject to pain, loss, confinement, death, etc., as a penalty for some offense, transgression, or fault: to punish a criminal. 1
  • verb with object punishing to inflict a penalty for (an offense, fault, etc.): to punish theft. 1
  • verb with object punishing to handle severely or roughly, as in a fight. 1
  • verb with object punishing to put to painful exertion, as a horse in racing. 1
  • verb with object punishing Informal. to make a heavy inroad on; deplete: to punish a quart of whiskey. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of punishing

First appearance:

before 1425
One of the 25% oldest English words
1425-75; late Middle English punyesand; see punish, -ing2

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Punishing

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

punishing popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 81% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

punishing usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for punishing

adj punishing

  • arduous — Something that is arduous is difficult and tiring, and involves a lot of effort.
  • backbreaking — demanding great effort; exhausting
  • correctional — Correctional means related to prisons.
  • disciplinary — of, for, or constituting discipline; enforcing or administering discipline: disciplinary action.
  • grueling — exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe: the grueling Boston marathon.

adjective punishing

  • cruel — Someone who is cruel deliberately causes pain or distress to people or animals.
  • excruciating — Intensely painful.
  • extreme — Reaching a high or the highest degree; very great.
  • gruelling — exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe: the grueling Boston marathon.
  • whacking — large.

Top questions with punishing

  • why is god punishing me?
  • why god is punishing me?
  • why does it feel like god is punishing me?
  • why is god punishing me so much?
  • when to start punishing a child?
  • what does the bible say about punishing criminals?

See also

Matching words

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