Punch — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈpənch/

Meaning & Definition of Punch

Punch (noun)

  1. a tool usually in the form of a short rod of steel that is variously shaped at one end for different operations (such as forming, perforating, embossing, or cutting)
  2. a short tapering steel rod for driving the heads of nails below a surface
  3. a steel die faced with a letter in relief that is forced into a softer metal to form an intaglio matrix from which foundry type is cast
  4. the action of punching
  5. a quick blow with or as if with the fist
  6. effective energy or forcefulness
  7. a hot or cold drink that is usually a combination of hard liquor, wine, or beer and nonalcoholic beverages; also, a drink that is a mixture of nonalcoholic beverages

Punch (verb)

  1. prod, poke
  2. drive, herd
  3. to strike with a forward thrust especially of the fist

Punch (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner

    "after the man had punched the bartender for eighty-sixing him, bouncers stepped in and restrained him until the police could arrive"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, zap, hang one on
    related: batter, beat, buffet, bung, chop, cuff, drub, lace, lambaste, lick, mangle, maul, pelt, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough, scuff, bunt, flick, stroke, tap, bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, poke, prod, push, shove, stamp, bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump (slang), fell, floor, knock down, level, rabbit-punch, sucker punch, cane, club, cudgel, flail, flog, lash, sap, slash, sledge, sledgehammer, spear, stab, switch, thrash, whip, bean, brain, conk, skull

  2. to make a hole or series of holes in

    "punch a ticket"

    similar: bore, drill, hole, perforate, pierce, puncture, riddle
    related: broach, tap, poke, prick, prickle, penetrate, burrow (into), excavate, gouge, groove, hollow, break, cut, gash, notch, rend, rupture, slash, slit, split
    near: fill, patch, plug, seal

  3. to urge, push, or force onward

    "cowboys punching cattle"

    similar: drive, herd, run
    related: shepherd, wrangle, egg, exhort, flog, goad, hound, press, prick, prod, prompt, scourge, spur, whip

Punch (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect

    "the real punch of the speech came in its closing lines"

    similar: cogency, effectiveness, force, forcefulness, impact, point
    related: payoff, importance, significance, appeal, attraction, charm, fascination

  2. active strength of body or mind

    "we're going to need a candidate with real punch if voters are ever going to get excited about this election"

    similar: beans, bounce, brio, dash, drive, dynamism, energy, esprit, gas, get-up-and-go, ginger, go, gusto, hardihood, juice, life, moxie, oomph, pep, sap, snap, starch, verve, vigor, vim, vinegar, vitality, zing, zip
    related: animal spirits, animation, briskness, jauntiness, liveliness, snappiness, spirit, spiritedness, sprightliness, spunk, spunkiness, vibrance, vibrancy, vivaciousness, vivacity, ardor, élan, fervor, fire, passion, zeal, main, metal, mettle, might, muscle, potency, power, puissance, stamina, strength, brawniness, fitness, hardiness, huskiness, sturdiness, virility, health, healthiness, soundness, verdure, wellness
    opposite: lethargy, listlessness, sluggishness, torpidity
    near: indolence, laziness, debilitation, debility, delicacy, disablement, enfeeblement, faintness, feebleness, frailness, frailty, impotence, impotency, infirmity, powerlessness, puniness, slightness, softness, tenderness, weakness, enervation, exhaustion, inanition, prostration

  3. a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument

    "the poor palooka wasn't able to land a single punch on his opponent"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse (British), fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup (dialect), lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop
    related: counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling, drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

  4. a mark or small hole made by a pointed instrument

    "old computers used to get information by reading the punches on a series of cards"

    similar: perforation, pinhole, pinprick, prick, puncture, stab
    related: gouge, groove, hollow, break, cut, gash, incision, laceration, notch, rent, rip, rupture, slash, slit, tear

Related Entry: Punch-drunk (adjective)

Punch-drunk is a different word from Punch. The synonyms below are for punch-drunk, not for punch.

  1. suffering from mental confusion

    "punch-drunk from having stayed up all night, she struggled through the exam"

    similar: addle, addled, addlepated, bedeviled, befogged, befuddled, bemused, bewildered, bushed (chiefly Australian), confounded, confused, dazed, distracted, dizzy, dopey, fogged, mixed-up, muddleheaded, muzzy, pixilated, punchy, raddled, shell-shocked, silly, slaphappy, spaced-out, spacey, stunned, stupefied, zonked, zonked-out, at sea, out of it
    related: senseless, unconscious
    opposite: clearheaded
    near: alert, conscious

Related Entry: Punch out (verb)

Punch out is a different word from Punch. The synonyms below are for punch out, not for punch.

  1. to strike repeatedly

    "you should take a course in anger management—you can't go around punching out people"

    similar: bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib (British), flog, hammer, hide, lace, lambaste, lash, lather, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, thrash, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop, whup, work over, beat up on
    related: assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp, blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap, gore, lacerate, wound, maim, mangle, mutilate

Related Entry: Punch-out (noun)

Punch-out is a different word from Punch. The synonyms below are for punch-out, not for punch.

  1. as in fistfight, slugfest

    similar: blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-up (chiefly British), slugfest, affray (chiefly British), battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee, mix-up, ruckus, ruction, confrontation, duel, face-off, joust, pitched battle, rough-and-tumble, altercation, argle-bargle (chiefly British), argument, argy-bargy (chiefly British), contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle, battle, clash, combat, conflict, contest, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle, catfight
    opposite: truce

Related Entry: Punch-outs (noun)

Punch-outs is a different word from Punch. The synonyms below are for punch-outs, not for punch.

  1. as in fistfights, fisticuffs

    similar: blows, fistfights, fisticuffs, grapples, handgrips, punch-ups (chiefly British), slugfests, affrays (chiefly British), battles royal, brawls, broils, donnybrooks, free-for-alls, melees, mix-ups, ruckuses, ructions, confrontations, duels, face-offs, jousts, pitched battles, rough-and-tumbles, altercations, argle-bargles (chiefly British), arguments, argy-bargies (chiefly British), contretemps, controversies, cross fires, disagreements, disputes, fallings-out, kickups, misunderstandings, quarrels, rows, spats, squabbles, tangles, tiffs, wrangles, battles, clashes, combats, conflicts, contests, dustups, fights, fracases, frays, hassles, scraps, scrimmages, scrums, scuffles, skirmishes, struggles, tussles, catfights
    opposite: truces

Related Entry: Punch-up (noun)

Punch-up is a different word from Punch. The synonyms below are for punch-up, not for punch.

  1. as in fistfight, slugfest

    similar: blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-out, slugfest, affray (chiefly British), battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee, mix-up, ruckus, ruction, confrontation, duel, face-off, joust, pitched battle, rough-and-tumble, altercation, argle-bargle (chiefly British), argument, argy-bargy (chiefly British), contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle, battle, clash, combat, conflict, contest, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle, catfight
    opposite: truce

Related Entry: Punch-ups (noun)

Punch-ups is a different word from Punch. The synonyms below are for punch-ups, not for punch.

  1. as in blows, fistfights

    similar: blows, fistfights, fisticuffs, grapples, handgrips, punch-outs, slugfests, affrays (chiefly British), battles royal, brawls, broils, donnybrooks, free-for-alls, melees, mix-ups, ruckuses, ructions, confrontations, duels, face-offs, jousts, pitched battles, rough-and-tumbles, altercations, argle-bargles (chiefly British), arguments, argy-bargies (chiefly British), contretemps, controversies, cross fires, disagreements, disputes, fallings-out, kickups, misunderstandings, quarrels, rows, spats, squabbles, tangles, tiffs, wrangles, battles, clashes, combats, conflicts, contests, dustups, fights, fracases, frays, hassles, scraps, scrimmages, scrums, scuffles, skirmishes, struggles, tussles, catfights
    opposite: truces

Related Entry: Rabbit punch (noun)

Rabbit punch is a different word from Punch. The synonyms below are for rabbit punch, not for punch.

  1. as in right, sucker punch

    similar: body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, dab, douse (British), fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup (dialect), lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling, drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Punch

The most common words with a similar meaning to Punch:

British: douse
Dialect: larrup
bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clock, clout, crack, hammer, hit, knock, nail, paste, pound, rap, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, tag, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Punch

Words with the opposite meaning of Punch:

lethargy, listlessness, sluggishness, torpidity

Related Words for Punch

batter, bung, drub, lace, lambaste, mangle, maul, pepper, pommel, pummel, rough, scuff, bunt, flick, tap, bump, butt, jab, jostle, kick, knee, prod, push, shove, stamp, bowl (down or over), cream, deck, dump, fell

Near Antonyms of Punch

fill, patch, plug, seal, indolence, laziness, debilitation, debility, delicacy, disablement, enfeeblement, faintness, feebleness, frailness, frailty, impotence, impotency, infirmity, powerlessness, puniness, slightness, softness, tenderness, weakness, enervation, exhaustion, inanition, prostration

Word Forms of Punch

Inflections: punched, punching, punches

Derived words: puncher (noun), punchless (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Punch

Middle English pounce, punche, probably alteration of ponson, ponchon puncheon

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Punch

Words & Phrases Containing Punch

Punch-and-Judy show, punch bowl, punch card, punch-drunk, punch-drunk syndrome, punch in

Frequently Asked Questions about Punch

What does "Punch" mean?

"Punch" means a tool usually in the form of a short rod of steel that is variously shaped at one end for different operations (such as forming, perforating, embossing, or cutting). As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a tool usually in the form of a short rod of steel that is variously shaped at one end for different operations (such as forming, perforating, embossing, or cutting). It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Punch"?

Other words for "Punch" include bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob and bonk. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Punch" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Punch"?

There are 287 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Punch". Common alternatives include bang, bash, bat, belt, biff, bludgeon, bob, bonk, bop and box.

What is the opposite of "Punch"?

Antonyms of "Punch" include lethargy, listlessness, sluggishness and torpidity. Near antonyms include fill, patch, plug and seal.

How do you use "Punch" in a sentence?

Examples of "Punch" in a sentence: "after the man had punched the bartender for eighty-sixing him, bouncers stepped in and restrained him until the police could arrive"; "punch a ticket"; "cowboys punching cattle".

Is "Punch" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Punch" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Punch" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Punch" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Punch"?

"Punch" is pronounced /ˈpənch/.