Punishing (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; "worked their arduous way up the mining valley"; "a grueling campaign"; "hard labor"; "heavy work"; "heavy going"; "spent many laborious hours on the project"; "set a punishing pace".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The football coach was known for pushing his players to their limits with a punishing practice schedule that left them exhausted.
- The team's punishing pace was unsustainable and they eventually began to tire, allowing their opponents to catch up.
- After a few weeks of punishing work, the construction crew finally completed the new skyscraper, but at a great cost to their physical and mental health.
- The athlete's punishing training regimen included daily runs, weightlifting, and swimming, all designed to push her body to its limits.
- The hiking trail was notorious for its punishing climb to the summit, but the breathtaking views made the effort worthwhile for many adventurers.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Resulting in punishment; "the king imposed a punishing tax".
Classification
Participial adjectives.
Examples
- The coach was known for being hard on his players, putting them through a punishing training regimen that pushed them to their limits.
- The punishing interest rate on her credit card debt made it difficult for her to pay off the balance.
- After years of neglect, the company had to impose punishing cuts in order to get back on track financially.
- The tourists underestimated the punishing heat and humidity of the tropical jungle, leading to dehydration and exhaustion.
- The corrupt official faced a punishing sentence of twenty years in prison for his crimes against the state.