Slap on the wrist Meaning in English
expression
SLAP-on-thuh-RIST
sl-AP-on-thuh-RIST
释义
A mild or minor punishment for doing something wrong, often seen as not strict enough to correct the behavior.
用法与细微差别
This idiom is informal and often used when criticizing punishments seen as too weak, especially for serious actions. Common with legal, school, or workplace issues. Do not use it for physical punishment—it’s metaphorical.
Spanish: castigo leve - tirón de orejas (figurado)Portuguese (BR): puxão de orelha (figurado) - punição levePortuguese (PT): puxão de orelhas (figurado) - punição leveChinese (Simplified): 轻微惩罚 - 象征性处罚Chinese (Traditional): 輕微處罰 - 象徵性懲罰Hindi: हाथ पर हल्की सी मार (प्रतीकात्मक) - मामूली सज़ाArabic: عقوبة خفيفة - توبيخ بسيطBengali: হালকা শাস্তি - উঠতে বসতে বলা (রূপক অর্থে)Russian: легкое наказание - мягкое взысканиеJapanese: 軽い処分 - 形式的な注意Vietnamese: hình phạt nhẹ - nhắc nhở nhẹKorean: 가벼운 처벌 - 경고만 주기Turkish: hafif ceza - uyarı (resmi olmayan)Urdu: ہلکی سی سزا - نرم تنبیہIndonesian: hukuman ringan - teguran ringan
例句
The student only got a slap on the wrist for cheating on the test.
basic
The company got a slap on the wrist for breaking the law.
basic
He got a slap on the wrist instead of going to jail.
basic
Many people thought the penalty was just a slap on the wrist.
natural
After breaking the rules, all he got was a slap on the wrist.
natural
It felt like a slap on the wrist considering how serious the mistake was.
natural