List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 307

SYNONYMS: punish, correct, chastise, discipline, castigate, penalize.
These verbs mean to subject a person to a penalty, such as loss, pain, or confinement, for an offense, a sin, or a fault.

Punish is the least specific: The individual who refuses to defend his rights when called by his Government. He must be punished as an enemy of his country.
To correct is to punish so that the offender will mend his or her ways: Regulations formerly permitted prison wardens to correct unruly inmates.
Chastise implies punishment, such as corporal punishment or a verbal rebuke, as a means of effecting improvement in behavior: chastise a bully by giving him a thrashing; was roundly chastised for insolence.
Discipline stresses punishment inflicted by an authority in order to control an offender or to eliminate or reform unacceptable conduct: The worker was disciplined for insubordination.
Castigate means to censure or criticize severely, often in public: The judge castigated the attorney for badgering the witness.
Penalize usually implies a monetary penalty or the forfeiture of a privilege or gain because rules or regulations have been broken: Those who file their income-tax returns after April 15 will be penalized.