Meaning & use
get punished
Last updated
Meaning
phraseintransitive
to be made to suffer a penalty for doing something wrong.
Grammar: No object. Often followed by 'for' to name the wrong action: get punished for cheating.
Patterns
- get punished for something
- get punished by someone
- get punished with something
The students got punished for cheating on the test.
If you break the rules, you will get punished.
He got punished by his parents for staying out late.
Common combinations
- get punished for doing something
- She got punished for lying to her teacher.
- get punished severely
- The players got punished severely for breaking the team rules.
- get punished by the teacher
- The whole class got punished by the teacher.
- get punished with a fine
- Drivers who speed get punished with a fine.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be disciplined
- This is more formal and often used in work or school contexts.
- be penalized
- This is used for official or legal penalties, such as in sports or taxes.
Opposites
Word family
- punish verb
- To make someone suffer for doing something wrong.
- punishment noun
- A penalty imposed for doing something wrong.
- punishing adjective
- Very difficult or tiring: a punishing schedule.
Commonly confused: get punished or punish?
get punished vs punish
'Punish' is active: a person punishes someone. 'Get punished' is passive: the wrongdoer receives the punishment.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'The children ______ for breaking the vase.'
Choose one answer.
The children receive the punishment, so the passive-like phrase 'got punished' is correct. 'Punished' alone would mean the children punished someone else.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “get punished”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.