punish
- v. 惩罚, 处罚
- Definition
- v. to make someone suffer a penalty for a crime or wrongdoing
- Example
- Parents shouldn't punish children too harshly for small mistakes.
- 父母不应该因为孩子犯的小错误就过于严厉地惩罚他们。
Synonyms & Differences 近义词辨析
Compared meaning: to make someone suffer for a wrong (verb).
比较义项：惩罚，处罚（动词）。
- punish 本词
Punish is a general, everyday word for making someone suffer for wrongdoing, especially personal or moral offenses; it can imply harsh treatment and is common with parents, teachers, or the law.
punish是日常通用词，指因过错或不当行为而使某人受苦或受罚，多用于个人或道德层面的过错，语气可能较重，常见于家长、老师或法律语境。
The teacher punished the whole class for one student's misbehavior.
那位老师因为一个学生的不当行为而惩罚了全班同学。
- penalize
Penalize is more formal and refers to imposing an official penalty or disadvantage for breaking a rule, typical in sports, law, or contracts, without implying moral punishment or suffering.
penalize更为正式，指因违反规则而施加官方处罚或使某人处于不利地位，常见于体育比赛、法律或合同场景，不强调道德意义上的惩罚或使人受苦。
The referee penalized the team two points for the rule violation.
裁判因该队违规而判罚扣两分。
Punish and penalize both mean to make someone suffer for doing wrong. Punish is strong and everyday, common with parents, teachers, or the law. Penalize is formal: to give an official penalty for breaking a rule, typical in sports, law, or contracts, without moral judgment.
这两个词都表示因过错或违规而使某人受到惩罚，但punish语气更重，多用于日常、家庭或法律场合，强调使人受苦；penalize更正式，多指依据规则给予处罚或不利后果，常见于比赛、法律或制度场景，不强调道德层面的惩罚。