punish
punish — verb
1. to make a person undergo hardship or pay a penalty after they have broken a rule
to make a person undergo hardship or pay a penalty after they have broken a rule, been found guilty of an offence, or done something forbidden
The judge punished the car thief with a fine and eighteen months in prison.
punish [someone] with [penalty] — typical court pattern
Adina's mother punished her by taking away her phone for a whole week.
punish [someone] by [method] — describes how the punishment is carried out
The school board voted to punish any student caught bullying others during lunch breaks.
Jack punished his younger brother for drawing on the walls with permanent marker.
Countries that punish petty crimes with long prison sentences often have overcrowded jails.
- penalise
more formal; often used in sports, regulations, or financial contexts
- discipline
focuses on correcting behaviour; common for children, students, or employees
- sentence
specific to courts; refers to a judge's formal decision on a convicted person
文法句型
punish + [someone] + for + [offence]
punish + [someone] + with/by + [penalty]
be punished for [offence]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice (be punished). The preposition for introduces the offence, while with or by introduces the penalty or method of punishment.
常見錯誤
2. to state or prescribe a specific penalty for a particular type of crime — used o
to state or prescribe a specific penalty for a particular type of crime — used of laws, regulations, or legal systems that set punishments for people found guilty of a certain offence
The new law punishes anyone who sells alcohol to people under the age of twenty-one.
law punishes anyone who [commits crime] — formal legal register
In Texas, the law punishes identity theft with up to ten years in prison.
law punishes [crime] with [penalty] — legal penalty pattern
The regulations punish companies that dump toxic waste into rivers with heavy fines.
The city council passed a rule that punishes landlords who refuse to fix dangerous electrical wiring.
- penalise
broader than this sense; used in non-legal contexts too
- criminalise
means to make an act illegal by law; different focus (declaring something a crime vs setting its penalty)
- legalise
to make something permitted by law
- decriminalise
to stop treating an act as a crime
文法句型
[law/rule/system] + punishes + [crime/offender]
[law] + punishes + [anyone who commits crime] + with [penalty]
用法筆記
The subject is always a law, rule, regulation, or legal system — never a person. The object may name either the offence itself (punish theft) or the type of offender (punish anyone who steals).
常見錯誤
3. to damage or harm something by using it too hard, too often, or without enough c
to damage or harm something by using it too hard, too often, or without enough care — for example, a car engine driven too fast on rough roads, or a part of the body overused during exercise
Eri punished her camera by taking it out in the heavy rain without any protection.
informal: punish an object through rough or careless use
The old truck's engine was punished by years of driving on unpaved mountain roads.
passive: [object] is punished by [rough treatment]
Saira punished her new shoes with a marathon the day after buying them.
The boxer's knees were punished after years of intense training on hard surfaces.
文法句型
punish + [body part / equipment / object]
[object] + be punished + by + [rough treatment]
用法筆記
Informal, often figurative. The direct object is typically a body part (knees, back) or equipment (engine, car, shoes). Not used for people in this sense.