Synonyms of punish

23 similar words · 3 opposite words

Another word for punish is correct. Other synonyms of punish are penalize, penance, chastise, castigate and gruel. The opposite of punish is reward.

Synonyms and similar words for punish

castigateTo punish or reprimand someone severely.
penalizeTo subject to a penalty, especially for the infringement of a rule or regulation.
pillory

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.
penanceTo impose penance; to 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.

verb To cause (a child, student, or someone else being looked after, or a suspect or criminal) to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent, teacher, or police officer).
verb To treat harshly and unfairly.
verb To handle or beat severely; to maul.

What is another word for punish?: Punish has 23 synonyms on Word.ws, such as correct, penalize, penance, chastise, castigate and gruel.
What is the opposite of punish?: The opposite of punish is reward.
What does punish mean?: Punish means to cause (a child, student, or someone else being looked after, or a suspect or criminal) to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action, typically by an authority or a person in authority (for example: a parent, teacher, or police officer).

Adapted from Wiktionary: punish (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 punish.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/punish. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.