| Main Entry: | punish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | penalize for wrongdoing |
Synonyms: |
abuse, attend to, batter, beat, beat up, blacklist, castigate, chasten, chastise, correct, crack down on, cuff, debar, defrock, discipline, dismiss, do in, execute, exile, expel, fine, flog, give a going over, give the works, harm, hurt, immure, incarcerate, injure, knock about, lash, lecture, maltreat, misuse, oppress, paddle, rap knuckles, reprove, rough up, scourge, sentence, slap wrist, spank, switch, teach a lesson, throw the book at, train, whip |
Antonyms: |
award, exonerate, let go, praise, protect, reward |
| Main Entry: | punishing |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | tough |
Synonyms: |
brutal, grueling, hard, punitive |
Antonyms: |
easy, effortless |
| Main Entry: | arduous |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | difficult, hard to endure |
Synonyms: |
backbreaking, burdensome, exhausting, fatiguing, formidable, grueling, harsh, heavy, labored, laborious, murder, no picnic, onerous, painful, punishing, rigorous, rough, severe, strenuous, taxing, tiring, toilsome, tough, troublesome, trying, uphill |
Antonyms: |
easy, facile, motivating |
| Main Entry: | avenge |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | retaliate |
Synonyms: |
chasten, chastise, come back at, even the score, get back at, get even, payback, punish, redress, repay, requite, retribute, revenge, stick it to, take satisfaction, take vengeance, venge, vindicate |
| Main Entry: | backbreaking |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | strenuous |
Synonyms: |
arduous, exhausting, grueling, hard, laborious, punishing, taxing, toilsome, wearisome |
| Main Entry: | batter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | strike and damage |
Synonyms: |
assault, bash, beat, break, bruise, buffet, clobber, contuse, cripple, crush, dash, deface, demolish, destroy, disable, disfigure, drub, hurt, injure, lacerate, lambaste, lame, lash, mangle, mar, maul, mutilate, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punish, ruin, shatter, smash, thrash, wallop, wreck |
| Main Entry: | beat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | injure by striking |
Synonyms: |
bang, bash, bat, batter, belt, box, break, bruise, buffet, cane, castigate, clout, club, collide, crush, cudgel, drub, flagellate, flail, flog, hammer, hit, knock, lambaste*, lash, lick*, maltreat, mash, maul, pelt, pound, pummel, punch, punish, ram, rap, slap, slug, smack, spank, strike, swat, thrash, thresh, thump, thwack, trounce, wallop, whale, whip |
Antonyms: |
aid, assist, guard, help, protect |
| Main Entry: | castigate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | criticize severely |
Synonyms: |
baste, bawl out, beat, berate, blister, cane, censure, chasten, chastise, chew out, come down on, correct, criticize, discipline, drag over the coals, dress down, drub, excoriate, flay, flog, jump down one's throat, lambaste, lash, lay out, lean on, penalize, pummel, punish, rail, rate, read the riot act, ream, rebuke, reprimand, scarify, scathe, scold, scorch, scourge, thrash, tongue-lash, upbraid, whip |
Antonyms: |
compliment, laud, praise |
| Main Entry: | chasten |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | correct, humiliate |
Synonyms: |
abase, admonish, afflict, berate, call down, castigate, chastise, chide, cow, curb, discipline, exprobate, fulminate against, have on the carpet, humble, objurgate, penalize, punish, rake over the coals, rebuke, reprehend, repress, reprimand, reproach, reprove, restrain, scold, scourge, soften, subdue, take to task, tame, tongue-lash, try, upbraid |
| Notes: | chasten means to correct by punishment, to take to task - to restrain or subdue; chastise means to punish, as by beating or to criticize severely |
Antonyms: |
aid, animate, assist, boost, cheer, comfort, embolden, encourage, help, honor, uplift |
| Main Entry: | chastise |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | scold, discipline |
Synonyms: |
baste, beat, berate, castigate, censure, chasten, chew out, climb all over, correct, ferule, flog, lash, lay into, lean on, pummel, punish, ream, scourge, skelp, slap down, spank, thrash, upbraid, whip |
Antonyms: |
cheer, comfort, compliment, encourage, forgive, inspirit, promote |