poen-, peno-, poino-, poin-, puni-, pain-, penal-, pent-
(Greek > Latin: pain, punishment, penalty)
1. A process or action of chastising or disciplining someone: The students were sent to the principal for punishment because they smoked during the lesson!
2. A penalisation for a wrongdoing, particularly a crime: The lawbreaker had to undergo a harsh punishment for drinking while driving at a very high speed through the town.
3. Anguish or suffering by pain inflicted as a retaliation: Jack took Tom's cell phone without asking for permission, and, as a result, the punishment Tom took for revenge ended their friendship.
2. A penalisation for a wrongdoing, particularly a crime: The lawbreaker had to undergo a harsh punishment for drinking while driving at a very high speed through the town.
3. Anguish or suffering by pain inflicted as a retaliation: Jack took Tom's cell phone without asking for permission, and, as a result, the punishment Tom took for revenge ended their friendship.
punitive (adjective), more punitive, most punitive
1. A reference to the infliction of punishment on someone: The manager of the store was taking punitive action against a salesman for overcharging a customer for an item she had just purchased.
2. Etymology: from Latin punire, "to punish."
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2. Etymology: from Latin punire, "to punish."
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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punitively (adverb), more punitively, most punitively
Descriptive of how something is effected in a punishing manner: Little Tim's mother sent him punitively to his room after he had talked rudely to her.
punitory (noun), more punitory, most punitory
Regarding the intention of inflicting discipline; punitive: Punitory measures had to be taken because James, the student, violated the school rules.
repent (verb), repents; repented; repenting
1. To regrete for what a person has effected, left out, or for a person's behavior: Alice repented the day when she told her parents that she was going to leave for ever.
2. To be sorry for a sinful action: Jill talked to the pastor and repented for her very poor conduct towards her parents.
3. To remember with sorrow: Mrs. Thompson repented with tears in her eyes the sudden death of her daughter.
2. To be sorry for a sinful action: Jill talked to the pastor and repented for her very poor conduct towards her parents.
3. To remember with sorrow: Mrs. Thompson repented with tears in her eyes the sudden death of her daughter.
1. The feeling of remorse for a wrongdoing: Mrs. Stone noticed that there were a some people at the funeral who showed absolutely no repentance for the death of her husband.
2. The state of being sorry, apologetic, or rueful: Jane felt great repentance for the fact that she told her mother that she received a good grade on the math test when she really failed completely!
2. The state of being sorry, apologetic, or rueful: Jane felt great repentance for the fact that she told her mother that she received a good grade on the math test when she really failed completely!
repentant (adjective), more repentant, most repentant
Regarding a person showing sorrow for misconduct or delinquency: Brian was quite repentant when he realized that he had broken the neighbors bedroom window when playing ball with his friends in the backyard.
repentantly, repentingly (adverb), more repentantly, most repentantly; more repentingly, most repentingly
Concerning how an individual shows regret: Mary spoke quite repentantly to her mother when she said that she had broken the antique vase by accident.
repine (verb), repines; repined; repining
1. To long for something or someone: Linda repined for her parents to come visit her soon.
2. To fret, to regret, to express unhappiness: Lynn repined so often about her lost dog that he parents finally got her a new one!
2. To fret, to regret, to express unhappiness: Lynn repined so often about her lost dog that he parents finally got her a new one!
A person who complains and frets: Natalie turned out to be a real repiner who always found fault with the meals prepared by her husband, so she decided to cook the meals herself!
repiningly (adverb) (not comparable)
Ruefully, sorrowfully: Tom repiningly and regretfully explained why he couldn't go along on the trip to Canada that year.
