punish

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To make someone suffer for something wrong they have done.

   The teacher punished the boy for cheating on the test.

2. 2
   verb

   To treat someone harshly or unfairly.

   The new rules seem to punish families who are already struggling.

From Middle English punischen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French puniss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of punir, from Latin puniō (“to inflict punishment upon”), from poena (“punishment, penalty”); see pain. Displaced Old English wītnian and (mostly, in this sense) wrecan.

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