different between punishing vs racking

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?n????/

Adjective

punishing (comparative more punishing, superlative most punishing)

1. That punishes physically and/or mentally; arduous, gruelling, demanding.
   • 2010, Kathleen C. Winters, Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon, St. Martin's Press (?ISBN), page 90

     Upon Amelia's return from the West Coast in October, George presented her with a punishing schedule of lectures and appointments to promote the new book and solidify her position as America's foremost woman aviator.

   • 2013, Grace Young, Alan Richardson, The Breath of a Wok, Simon and Schuster (?ISBN), page 100

     Regardless of the punishing heat and physicality, restaurant cooking is a calling many Chinese chefs cannot deny.

   • 2016, Tamara Gill, Only an Earl Will Do, Entangled: Select Historical (?ISBN)

     They took off at a punishing speed, making London in less than half a day.

2. (figuratively) Debilitating, harsh.
   • 1999, Edward Gonzalez, Richard Nuccio, Rand Corporation. National Security Research Division, The Rand Forum on Cuba, Rand Corp

     Others argued that the worst of all outcomes after 40 years of a punishing embargo would be for the United States to adopt policies that might extend the life of a dictatorial regime.

   • 2010, Gary Clyde Hufbauer, Globalization at Risk, Yale University Press (?ISBN)

     Public debt of this magnitude can provoke punishing tax rates and crowd out private investment.

   • 2016, David J. Sanger, Derek E. Blackman, Aspects of Psychopharmacology, Routledge (?ISBN)

     The apparent punishing effect of naloxone may be mediated through the withdrawal reaction that it produces[.]

Derived terms

• punishingly

Translations

Noun

punishing (plural punishings)

1. Punishment.
   • 2011, Bonnie J. Miller-McLemore, The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Practical Theology (page 303)

     We may not be convinced that God is as involved in historical punishings as the prophet claims, and we may have a strong negative reaction to the claims made for how God acts […]

Verb

punishing

1. present participle of punish

English

Noun

racking (countable and uncountable, plural rackings)

1. (roofing) A method of asphalt shingle application, whereby shingle courses are applied vertically, up the roof rather than laterally across and up.
2. (nautical) spun yarn used in racking ropes
3. (brewing) The process of clarifying, and thereby deterring further fermentation of, beer, wine or cider by draining or siphoning it from the dregs.

Synonyms

• (roofing): straight-up method

Translations

Verb

racking

1. present participle of rack

Adjective

racking (comparative more racking, superlative most racking)

1. Alternative spelling of wracking

See also

Anagrams

• arcking, carking, craking