punishment
/ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/
noun
plural
punishments
plural
punishments
Britannica Dictionary definition of PUNISHMENT
1
:
the act of punishing someone or a way of punishing someone
[count]
-
I took away my daughter's car keys as a punishment for her bad behavior.
-
The punishments that the government has inflicted/imposed on the protesters are severe and unjust.
-
The punishment for murder is life imprisonment.
[noncount]
—
see also capital punishment, corporal punishment
2
[noncount]
:
the state of being punished
3
[noncount]
:
rough physical treatment
-
These hiking boots are tough enough to take any amount of punishment. [=the boots will not be ruined even if they are used very roughly]
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He keeps playing football despite all his injuries. I guess he's a glutton/sucker for punishment. [=he is attracted to pain, suffering, difficulty, etc.]