Synonyms of penance

23 similar words

Another word for penance is penitence. Other synonyms of penance are castigate, penalize, amerce, chastise and come down on.

Synonyms and similar words for penance

castigateTo punish or reprimand someone severely.
penalizeTo subject to a penalty, especially for the infringement of a rule or regulation.
amerceTo punish; to make an exaction.
chastiseTo punish, especially by corporal punishment.
come down onTo punish or criticize (someone).
correctTo discipline; to punish.
fix someone's wagonTo cause injury, distress, or inconvenience to someone, especially as punishment or as a comeuppance.
have someone's guts for gartersTo reprimand severely.
have someone's head figurativelyTo punish someone severely, as by sacking (firing), imprisonment, or similarly harsh penalties.
have someone's hide figurativelyTo punish or subdue someone.
give it to someoneTo punish, criticize or verbally abuse someone.
give someone what for slangTo punish; to rebuke.
give what forTo scold; to punish, especially verbally.
gruelTo punish.
nail someone to the wallTo punish or discipline extremely harshly.
punish
tan someone's hide figurativelyTo beat or spank someone, usually on their backside.
teach someone a lessonTo punish someone for a serious transgression they have committed so that they do not commit it again.
chasten archaicTo chastize; to punish or reprimand for the sake of improvement.
malavogue Ireland, datedTo punish or trounce.
tar out dated, slangTo punish; to pay back or take revenge on.

penitenceThe condition of being penitent; a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning.
atonement

noun A voluntary self-imposed punishment for a sinful act or wrongdoing. It may be intended to serve as reparation for the act.
noun A sacrament in some Christian churches that involves penitence (remorse plus restitution via prayer).
noun Any instrument of self-punishment.

What is another word for penance?: Penance has 23 synonyms on Word.ws, such as penitence, castigate, penalize, amerce, chastise, come down on, correct and fix someone's wagon.
What does penance mean?: Penance means a voluntary self-imposed punishment for a sinful act or wrongdoing. It may be intended to serve as reparation for the act.

Adapted from Wiktionary: penance (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of penance.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/penance. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.