19
hefty(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
19
ponderous(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
19
profound(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
19
weighty(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
ambitious(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
grinding(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
rugged(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
unbearable(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
12
chastening(verb, adjective, severe, demanding, exhausting)
10
disciplining(noun, verb, adjective, penalizing)
10
penalizing(verb, adjective, penalizing)
10
punitive(adjective, reward, punishment)
9
chastising(verb, penalizing)
9
grueling
9
gruelling
8
correcting(verb, penalizing)
8
heavy(adjective, hard, difficult, tedious, demanding)
7
avenging(verb, adjective, revenging)
7
castigating(verb, adjective, disciplinary, penal)
7
fining(verb, penalizing)
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APASmart Define. (2015). punishing thesaurus. Retrieved September 26, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/punishing/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "punishing thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/punishing/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 26, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, punishing thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 26 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/punishing/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "punishing thesaurus" 10 April 2015. Web. 26 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/punishing/thesaurus/synonyms>