penalty

penalty — noun

1. an official punishment that a court or other authority gives when someone does s

1.名詞B2
釋義

an official punishment that a court or other authority gives when someone does something illegal.

例句

Under city law, shops face a penalty for selling alcohol after midnight.

pattern: penalty for + verb-ing

The judge increased the penalty after Malik ignored two earlier warnings.

同義詞
  • punishment

    the broadest word and not limited to legal or rule-based cases

  • sentence

    used especially for the formal decision of a court

  • sanction

    more formal and common in legal, political, or business contexts

  • fine

    narrower because it only means a money payment

反義詞
  • reward

    something good given for right behavior instead of wrongdoing

文法句型

penalty for + noun/verb-ing

receive/face a penalty

impose a penalty

用法筆記

Often used for a punishment fixed by law or imposed by a court or public authority. Distinguish from sense 2, which is commonly about money owed because an agreement or rule was not followed.

常見錯誤

❌The company received penalty for the leak.
✅The company received a penalty for the leak.
💡This noun is usually countable when you mean one official punishment.
❌He got a penalty to speeding.
✅He got a penalty for speeding.
💡Use 'for' before the illegal act.

2. an extra amount of money or other loss you must accept because you did not keep

2.名詞B2
釋義

an extra amount of money or other loss you must accept because you did not keep to an agreement or a set of rules.

例句

Members pay a penalty if they return library books a week late.

pattern: pay a penalty

The phone company added a penalty when Nora ended the contract early.

contract context: end the contract early

同義詞
  • fine

    can be similar, but is more strongly linked to official punishment

  • charge

    broader and can be any fee, not necessarily for breaking a rule

  • fee

    usually neutral and does not itself suggest wrongdoing

  • forfeit

    more formal and often means money or rights lost under rules

反義詞
  • refund

    money returned to you instead of money taken because you broke a rule

文法句型

pay a penalty

penalty for + verb-ing

daily penalty

用法筆記

Common in contracts, bills, memberships, and other formal rules. The amount is often fixed in advance, unlike sense 1, which is tied more directly to law and official punishment.

常見錯誤

❌I paid a penalty money for canceling the room.
✅I paid a penalty for canceling the room.
💡'Penalty' itself can name the extra payment, so 'money' is unnecessary.
❌The gym gave me a penalty to ending early.
✅The gym gave me a penalty for ending early.
💡This sense usually takes 'for' before the broken rule or action.

3. in sport, a special chance, point, or other disadvantage awarded after the other

3.名詞B2
釋義

in sport, a special chance, point, or other disadvantage awarded after the other side breaks the rules.

例句

After the defender grabbed Mia's shirt, the referee gave a penalty.

sports pattern: give a penalty

Japan scored from the penalty in the final minute.

collocation: score from a penalty

同義詞
  • sanction

    formal and broad; it does not suggest a sports action as clearly as penalty

  • free kick

    only fits sports where the penalty takes that form

  • spot kick

    used specifically for a soccer penalty kick

反義詞
  • advantage

    in some sports, play continues to favor the fouled side instead of stopping for a penalty

文法句型

give/award a penalty

score from a penalty

[number]-minute penalty

用法筆記

The exact result depends on the sport: it may be a free chance to score, extra time off the field, or another formal disadvantage. Distinguish from sense 1 because this sense belongs to game rules, not the law.

常見錯誤

❌The referee did a penalty.
✅The referee gave a penalty.
💡The usual verb is 'give' or 'award', not 'do'.
❌They got penalty in the last minute.
✅They got a penalty in the last minute.
💡This meaning is normally countable.

4. a bad result or disadvantage caused by a choice, an action, or a situation.

4.名詞C1
釋義

a bad result or disadvantage caused by a choice, an action, or a situation.

例句

One penalty of living downtown is noise from late-night bars.

pattern: penalty of + verb-ing

The penalty for rushing the job was three days of extra repairs.

pattern: penalty for + action

同義詞
  • drawback

    often sounds milder and is common for disadvantages in plans or products

  • downside

    informal and often used in everyday speech

  • cost

    can be emotional or practical, not only about money

  • consequence

    broader and does not always suggest a negative result

反義詞
  • benefit

    a good result that comes from an action or situation

文法句型

penalty of + noun/verb-ing

carry/bring a penalty

the penalty for + action

用法筆記

Often followed by of or for when it names the negative side of a choice or condition. Distinguish from senses 1 and 2, where a person or system formally imposes the penalty.

常見錯誤

❌The penalty from living here is expensive food.
✅The penalty of living here is expensive food.
💡This sense commonly uses 'of' before the situation.
❌Late work had the penalty that we missed dinner.
✅Late work carried the penalty of missing dinner.
💡This sense is usually expressed with 'of' + noun or verb-ing.