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Glite Dictionary

Punisher

5 7.2
A fictional Marvel Comics character who attacks criminals with weapons
  • proper noun
  • /ˈpʌnɪʃər/
: El Castigador
  • Fans of Marvel often admire the Punisher's complex morality and vigilante justice.

Examples

  • Using a variety of guns, explosives, knives, and even an armored battle van, the Punisher pursues criminals from a variety of gangs, ranging from the Chinese Triads to the Russian and Italian Mafias.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The Punisher's relentless brand of uncompromising justice is an interesting contrast to characters such as the Vigilante.

    Academic text (2014)

  • This is where The Punisher comes in.

    Punisher: War Zone (2008)

  • This is the first appearance of the Punisher.

    Coyote Ugly (2000)

  • Although the Punisher sometimes expressed doubts about his mission, he was generally determined to kill every criminal he came across.

    Academic text (2014)

  • The Punisher is known for his brutal methods in fighting crime.

  • In the comic series, the Punisher hunts down drug dealers with a sense of vengeance.

Synonyms

vigilante
vsPunisher
107 8.1

A person who enforces the law or punishes criminals without legal permission

uses violent methods to punish criminals rather than lawful procedures
avenger
vsPunisher
20 6.3

A person who hurts others to get revenge

targets criminals broadly as a violent enforcer rather than personal revenge seeker

Surface Forms

Punisher main

Morphology

Punisher = punish (transparent) = punish + er

Formation is a regular agentive -er on the verb 'punish', giving 'one who punishes', which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Punisher comes from the verb punish, which goes back to the Latin word poena meaning 'penalty', and you can see the same root in the English word penalty. The ending -er means 'one who', so a Punisher is 'one who' gives penalties — that's why the comic's Punisher is a person who punishes criminals.