punishment

Plural: punishments

Noun

• the act of punishing
• The act (action) or process of punishing, imposing and/or applying a sanction, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent or teacher), especially when disappointed or dissatisfied with the behavior or actions of a child, student, or someone else being looked after.
• A penalty to punish wrongdoing, especially for crime.
• A suffering by pain or loss imposed as retribution.
• Any harsh treatment or experience; rough handling.

Examples

• a harsh punishment
• a light punishment
• a vehicle that can take a lot of punishment
• The naughty children were given a punishment by their teachers.

Synonyms

penalisation, penalization, penalty, beating, castigation, punition

Antonyms

reward

Related Words

impunity, punishable, punisher, punishing, punitive, punitory, telishment