punishing

[puhn-i-shing]

adjective

1. causing or characterized by harsh or injurious treatment; severe; brutal.

   The storm was accompanied by punishing winds.

Other Word Forms

• nonpunishing adjective
• self-punishing adjective
• unpunishing adjective
• unpunishingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of punishing¹

1425–75; late Middle English punyesand; punish, -ing ²

Example Sentences

"But frankly it's very five years ago, which makes it more punishing."

From BBC

But she also described the movie as "punishing", adding that while "Stone can do anything, that doesn't mean she should."

From BBC

Maybe we’d be less obsessed with hurting each other if we stopped punishing ourselves first.

From Salon

Among the encampment’s demonstrators were Jews who protested against the actions of the Israeli government, which launched a punishing war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct.

From Los Angeles Times

All six workers we spoke to described the same punishing workdays – waking at 6am and being forced to build high-rise apartments until 2am the next morning, with just two days off a year.

From BBC

Related Words

• brutal 
• grueling 
• punitive