punishment

punishment — noun

1. Something that is given or done to a person, animal, or group that has broken a

1.nounB1
Definition

Something that is given or done to a person, animal, or group that has broken a rule or done something wrong, usually to cause some form of suffering, loss, or inconvenience as a result.

Example

Ryo received a harsh punishment for cheating on the final exam.

collocation: harsh punishment

The judge decided that the punishment should match the seriousness of the crime.

pattern: punishment + should match + noun

Common collocations
  • harsh punishment
  • severe punishment
  • light punishment
  • fair punishment
  • corporal punishment
  • capital punishment
  • receive punishment
  • face punishment
  • escape punishment
  • impose punishment
  • deserve punishment
  • as a punishment for
Synonyms
  • penalty

    More specific than punishment; usually a fixed consequence set by a rule or contract (a parking penalty, a contractual penalty). Punishment is broader and often carries moral overtones.

  • sentence

    A punishment officially ordered by a court of law (a prison sentence). Only used in legal contexts.

  • discipline

    Systematic training that corrects behaviour, not necessarily through suffering. Discipline focuses on learning, while punishment focuses on consequences.

Antonyms
  • reward

    Something given for good behaviour or achievement, the opposite of punishment in behavioural systems.

  • pardon

    Official forgiveness that cancels or prevents a punishment.

Grammar Patterns

punishment + for + noun phrase / gerund

as a punishment

punishment + of + person

Usage Note

As an uncountable noun, punishment refers to the general concept (“Punishment is needed to maintain order”). As a countable noun, it refers to a particular penalty (“The court handed down a fair punishment”).

Common Mistakes

The teacher gave punishment to the class' (natural but vague).
The teacher gave the class a punishment' or 'The teacher punished the class.
When referring to a specific act, use the countable form 'a punishment' or switch to the verb 'punish.'

2. A situation in which someone or something is handled, used, or affected very rou

2.nounB2
Definition

A situation in which someone or something is handled, used, or affected very roughly over a period of time, often resulting in damage, wear, or injury.

Example

Chidi’s old hiking boots have taken a lot of punishment on rocky trails.

collocation: take a lot of punishment

The car’s suspension cannot withstand the punishment of these unpaved mountain roads.

collocation: withstand the punishment of

Common collocations
  • take punishment
  • withstand punishment
  • absorb punishment
  • a lot of punishment
  • show the punishment of
Synonyms
  • abuse

    Stronger, implying intentional cruelty or neglect. Punishment in this sense is more accidental or circumstantial (wear and tear vs deliberate harm).

  • wear

    Focuses on gradual damage from use. Punishment implies a more intense or aggressive level of treatment.

Grammar Patterns

take (a lot of) punishment

withstand punishment

show signs of punishment

Usage Note

This sense is most common in fixed expressions like take punishment, withstand punishment, and show punishment. It is almost never used as a countable noun (“two punishments” would be understood as sense 1). The subject is typically an inanimate object or a body part, not a person who committed wrongdoing.

Common Mistakes

My backpack has taken many punishments over the years.
My backpack has taken a lot of punishment over the years.
In the "rough treatment" sense, punishment is always uncountable.
Idioms

cruel and unusual punishment

idiom

A punishment that is extremely harsh and not allowed by law in the United States.

The judge ruled that solitary confinement for 10 years was cruel and unusual punishment.

Maya argued that the school's new rule was a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

Word family

  • punish
    verbB1
  • punishing
    adjectiveB2
  • punitive
    adjectiveC1
  • impunity
    nounC1
  • punishable
    adjectiveB2
  • unpunished
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe consequences for wrongdoing, but they differ in scope and context. Punishment is the broadest term — it covers any consequence imposed for breaking a rule, from a parent grounding a child to a court sending someone to prison. Penalty is narrower: it usually refers to a fixed consequence set by a rule, law, or contract (a parking fine, a contractual penalty), and it often involves a monetary or quantifiable cost. Discipline shifts the focus from punishment to training and correction — a parent may discipline a child by teaching better behaviour rather than simply imposing suffering. Sentence is strictly legal: it is a punishment formally decided by a judge in a court of law. In short: punishment is the general category; penalty is a specific, often financial consequence; discipline aims to correct behaviour through guidance; and sentence applies only to court-ordered outcomes.

punishment ↗penalty ↗discipline ↗sentence ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • as a punishment for
  • take the punishment
  • deserve punishment
  • escape punishment

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word punishment entered English in the late 1300s through Old French punissement, which came from the Latin verb punire, meaning “to inflict a penalty on” or “to avenge.” The Latin root punire is related to poena (“penalty, pain”), which also gave us the words pain, penalty, and penitence. Over centuries, the meaning has broadened from strictly legal or judicial penalties to include any consequence for wrongdoing, and even rough physical treatment (sense 2).