punish

/ˈpʌnɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpə-nish/ (ame, mw)

punish — 動詞

  • punishpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • punisheshe / she / it
  • punishedpast simple
  • punishing-ing form

1. to make a person undergo hardship or pay a penalty after they have broken a rule

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

懲罰；處罰

因犯錯或違法使人受苦或付出代價

to make a person undergo hardship or pay a penalty after they have broken a rule, been found guilty of an offence, or done something forbidden

例句

The judge punished the car thief with a fine and eighteen months in prison.

法官以罰款和十八個月徒刑處罰了偷車賊。

punish [someone] with [penalty] — typical court pattern

Adina's mother punished her by taking away her phone for a whole week.

Adina 的媽媽沒收她的手機整整一個星期，作為懲罰。

punish [someone] by [method] — describes how the punishment is carried out

同義詞
  • penalise

    more formal; often used in sports, regulations, or financial contexts

  • discipline

    focuses on correcting behaviour; common for children, students, or employees

  • sentence

    specific to courts; refers to a judge's formal decision on a convicted person

反義詞
  • reward

    giving something positive for good behaviour, the opposite of punishment

  • forgive

    choosing not to punish even when a wrong has been done

文法句型

punish + [someone] + for + [offence]

punish + [someone] + with/by + [penalty]

be punished for [offence]

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice (be punished). The preposition for introduces the offence, while with or by introduces the penalty or method of punishment.

常見錯誤

❌The teacher punished him bad behaviour.
✅The teacher punished him for his bad behaviour.
💡punish always requires for before the reason.
❌My parents punished me with not letting me go out.
✅My parents punished me by not letting me go out.
💡use by (not with) before a gerund describing the method.

2. to state or prescribe a specific penalty for a particular type of crime — used o

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

刑罰；處治

法律對特定罪行設定的懲處

to state or prescribe a specific penalty for a particular type of crime — used of laws, regulations, or legal systems that set punishments for people found guilty of a certain offence

例句

The new law punishes anyone who sells alcohol to people under the age of twenty-one.

這條新法處罰任何向二十一歲以下人士販售酒類的行為。

law punishes anyone who [commits crime] — formal legal register

In Texas, the law punishes identity theft with up to ten years in prison.

在德州，法律對身分盜竊罪的刑罰是最高十年監禁。

law punishes [crime] with [penalty] — legal penalty pattern

同義詞
  • penalise

    broader than this sense; used in non-legal contexts too

  • criminalise

    means to make an act illegal by law; different focus (declaring something a crime vs setting its penalty)

反義詞

文法句型

[law/rule/system] + punishes + [crime/offender]

[law] + punishes + [anyone who commits crime] + with [penalty]

用法筆記

The subject is always a law, rule, regulation, or legal system — never a person. The object may name either the offence itself (punish theft) or the type of offender (punish anyone who steals).

常見錯誤

❌The court punishes stealing with prison.' (when referring to the law generally)
✅The law punishes stealing with prison.
💡use law, not court, for this sense.
❌The new rule punishes to smoke in the office.
✅The new rule punishes anyone who smokes in the office.
💡punish takes a noun object, not an infinitive.

3. to damage or harm something by using it too hard, too often, or without enough c

3.動詞及物B2
釋義

糟蹋；折騰

過度使用或粗暴對待導致損壞

to damage or harm something by using it too hard, too often, or without enough care — for example, a car engine driven too fast on rough roads, or a part of the body overused during exercise

例句

Eri punished her camera by taking it out in the heavy rain without any protection.

Eri 在豪雨中毫無保護地拿出相機拍照，簡直是在糟蹋它。

informal: punish an object through rough or careless use

The old truck's engine was punished by years of driving on unpaved mountain roads.

那輛老卡車的引擎因為長年在未鋪砌的山路上行駛而受損嚴重。

passive: [object] is punished by [rough treatment]

同義詞
  • damage

    focuses on the result of the rough treatment rather than the action itself

  • mistreat

    broader; can apply to people or animals, not just objects

  • abuse

    stronger and more serious; implies deliberate harm

反義詞
  • care for

    to treat something gently and maintain it properly

  • protect

    to keep something safe from damage

文法句型

punish + [body part / equipment / object]

[object] + be punished + by + [rough treatment]

用法筆記

Informal, often figurative. The direct object is typically a body part (knees, back) or equipment (engine, car, shoes). Not used for people in this sense.

常見錯誤

❌The manager punished the printer by using it too much.' (ambiguous between sense 1 and sense 3)
✅For sense 3, clarify by context: 'The old printer was punished by non-stop use every single day.
💡the passive and non-human subject signal this figurative sense.