penance
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A breakfast that feels more like penance than possibility.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026
His penance is to “pass, like night, from land to land,” repeating his story: “And till my ghastly tale is told, / This heart within me burns.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
Williams’ Anna absorbs his fury as though it were the penance she herself would mete out for her sins.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025
In mitigation, Carruthers' barrister Andrew Gurney said the mechanic from Wigton would carry the burden of regret for his "stupid act" as a "personal penance" for the rest of his life.
From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025
She was going to have to do a lot of penance, but she’d helped even the odds a bit in the Dregs’ favor.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Vocabulary lists containing penance
Fahrenheit 451
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The Poet X
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The Joy Luck Club
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