punch

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A quick, hard hit made with a closed fist.

   Grammar: Count noun: throw a punch.

   Patterns

   • a punch in the something
   • throw a punch

   He took a punch to the jaw and staggered back.

   The boxer landed a fast punch to the body.

   Nobody saw who threw the first punch.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To hit someone or something with a closed fist.

   Grammar: Takes an object: punch the bag.

   Patterns

   • punch someone in the something
   • punch something

   She punched the pillow in frustration.

   He punched the air when his team scored.

   The attacker punched him in the face.

3. 3noununcountable

   A sweet drink made from fruit juice and other liquids, often served at parties.

   Grammar: Mass noun: a bowl of punch.

   Patterns

   • a bowl of punch

   We served fruit punch at the birthday party.

   The punch was too sweet for me.

   He ladled punch into paper cups.

4. 4noununcountablefigurative

   Strong impact, force, or effectiveness in speech, writing, or taste.

   Grammar: Often used in the phrase pack a punch.

   Patterns

   • pack a punch
   • lack punch

   The speech had real punch.

   This sauce packs a punch.

   The opening lacked punch.

5. 5verbtransitive

   To press a key or make a hole in something with a tool.

   Grammar: Takes an object: punch holes in the paper.

   Patterns

   • punch a hole in something
   • punch in something

   The clerk punched holes in the form.

   She punched the code into the keypad.

   He punched a ticket at the gate.

Word forms

Common combinations

throw a punch

The player threw a punch and was sent off.

punch someone in the face

He was accused of punching a man in the face.

pack a punch

The tiny pepper packs a punch.

punch line

I forgot the punch line of the joke.

fruit punch

The kids grabbed cups of fruit punch.

punch a hole

Punch a hole in the corner of each page.

Synonyms and how they differ

hit

Hit is general and may be done with any object, while punch is specifically with a closed fist.

jab

A jab is a short, quick punch, so it is narrower than punch.

thump

Thump stresses the dull sound of a heavy blow.

impact

Impact is the effect of something and matches only the figurative sense.

Word family

puncher noun

a person or tool that punches

punchy adjective

forceful and effective

punchbag noun

a heavy bag for boxing practice

punch-up noun

British informal word for a fist fight

Commonly confused: punch or punish?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “punch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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