punisher
punisher Lexical Profile
punisher Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person or authority that inflicts a penalty, retribution, or disciplinary measure for an offense or fault.
"The judge was known as a strict punisher of corporate fraud and financial misconduct."
In behavioral psychology, any stimulus or event that follows a behavior and decreases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again in the future.
"In operant conditioning, a loud noise can act as an effective punisher that reduces unwanted habits."
An exceptionally grueling, exhausting, or physically demanding task, course, or experience.
"The final uphill mile of the marathon was a real punisher for the exhausted runners."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in Middle English as an agent noun from the verb 'punish' (from Old French 'puniss-', stem of 'punir', from Latin 'punire', meaning 'to inflict a penalty on') combined with the suffix '-er'.