punisher

[ puhn-i-sher ]

noun

1. a person who inflicts a penalty, such as pain, confinement, etc.:

   If your response is delayed, the dog will link the punishment to the punisher and not to the transgression.

2. Sports. a person who plays or hits aggressively:

   The player is destined to be an all-American and an all-around punisher in the league.

3. a thing that inflicts pain, discomfort, etc.:

   I ran out of time on the test because of one punisher—a question I should have left for last.

4. something that deters or dissuades:

   Any stimulus which makes the behavior it follows more frequent is a reinforcer, even if it is intended as a punisher.

Other Words From

• self-pun·ish·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of punisher¹

punish ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

At the nexus of the Nelk Boys, White and Trump are millions of Zyn-popping frat bros, heavily armed "Punisher"-misunderstanders and other too-online jamokes slamming Happy Dad and getting angry about “the border.”

From Salon

Or features Trump wearing a Punisher shirt, or a do-rag.

From Slate

You can see this in the right-wing extremists who fetishize the character and skull insignia of Marvel’s Punisher, an ex-military vigilante created in the Dirty Harry 1970s, who was played by Jon Bernthal on Netflix.

From New York Times

This being SoCal, that included Thomas Jane, the actor and star of “Hung” and “The Punisher,” who said he was “coming out of the UFO closet” with a lecture at Contact.

From Los Angeles Times

Before long, “Saint Cloud”— alongside Phoebe Bridgers’ “Punisher” and Fiona Apple’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”— became regarded as some of the defining artistic works of the pandemic era, an admittedly bittersweet achievement.

From Los Angeles Times