punishing

1. (figuratively) Debilitating, harsh.Examples: "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."; "Public debt of this magnitude can provoke punishing tax rates and crowd out private investment."; "The apparent punishing effect of naloxone may be mediated through the withdrawal reaction that it produces[.]"figuratively