What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Torment vs Punish - What's the difference?

torment | punish |

As verbs the difference between torment and punish

is that torment is to cause severe suffering to (stronger than to vex'' but weaker than ''to torture ) while punish is to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action.

As a noun torment

is (obsolete) a catapult or other kind of war-engine.

torment

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (obsolete) A catapult or other kind of war-engine.
  • Torture, originally as inflicted by an instrument of torture.
  • Any extreme pain, anguish or misery, either physical or mental.
  • He was bitter from the torments of the divorce system.
  • * Bible, Matthew iv. 24
  • They brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments .

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Derived terms

    * tormentous

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause severe suffering to (stronger than to vex'' but weaker than ''to torture. )
  • The child tormented the flies by pulling their wings off.
  • * 2013 , Phil McNulty, " Man City 4-1 Man Utd", BBC Sport , 22 September 2013:
  • Moyes, who never won a derby at Liverpool in 11 years as Everton manager, did not find the Etihad any more forgiving as City picked United apart in midfield, where Toure looked in a different class to United's £27.5m new boy Marouane Fellaini, and in defence as Aguero tormented Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

    Derived terms

    * tormentor

    punish

    English

    Verb

    (es)
  • To cause to suffer for crime or misconduct, to administer disciplinary action.
  • To cause great harm to. (a punishing blow )
  • To dumb down severely or to the point of uselessness or near-uselessness.
  • Synonyms

    * (to cause to suffer for crime or misconduct ) castigate

    Derived terms

    * punishable * punisher (noun ) * punishment (noun ) * (l) and (l) (through portmanteau with (etyl) )