Meaning of punish In English

• 0 to cause someone who has done something wrong or committed a crime to suffer, by hurting them, forcing them to pay money, sending them to prison, etc.:

  • Those responsible for these crimes must be brought to court and punished.

  • He punished the class by giving them extra work.

  • The oil company was found guilty on ten counts of pollution, and was punished with a $250 million fine.

  • Drunken driving can be punished with a prison sentence.

• 1 to use or treat something badly, violently, or without care:

  • He really punishes that horse of his.

• 2 to cause people who have done something wrong or committed a crime to suffer by making them do something they don’t want to do or sending them to prison:

  • She was punished for being late to school.