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pain

[ peyn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

physical suffering or distress, as due to injury, illness, etc.
Synonyms: , ,
a distressing sensation in a particular part of the body:
a back pain.
Synonyms: , , , , ,
mental or emotional suffering or torment:
I am sorry my news causes you such pain.
Synonyms: , ,
Antonyms: ,
pains,
1. laborious or careful efforts; assiduous care:
  Great pains have been taken to repair the engine perfectly.
2. the suffering of childbirth.
Informal. an annoying or troublesome person or thing.

verb (used with object)

to cause physical pain to; hurt.
to cause (someone) mental or emotional pain; distress:
Your sarcasm pained me.
Synonyms: , , ,
Antonyms:

verb (used without object)

to have or give pain.

pain

/ ��ɪ�� /

noun

the sensation of acute physical hurt or discomfort caused by injury, illness, etc
emotional suffering or mental distress
on pain of
subject to the penalty of
informal.
Also calledpain in the necktaboopain in the arse a person or thing that is a nuisance

verb

to cause (a person) distress, hurt, grief, anxiety, etc
informal.
to annoy; irritate

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Other Word Forms

�ܲ�d��·�貹�� noun
�ܲ�·�貹��i�Բ� adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of pain¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English peine “punishment, torture, pain,” from Old French, from Latin poena “penalty, pain,” from Greek ��Ǿ��ḗ ‼��Բ��ٲ�”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of pain¹

C13: from Old French peine, from Latin poena punishment, grief, from Greek ��Ǿ��ŧ penalty

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

feel no pain, Informal. to be intoxicated:
After all that free beer, we were feeling no pain.
on / upon / under pain of, liable to the penalty of:
on pain of death.
pain in the ass, Slang: Vulgar. pain ( def 5 ).
pain in the neck, Informal. pain ( def 5 ).

More idioms and phrases containing pain

at pains
feel no pain
for one's pains
growing pains
no pain, no gain
on pain of

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Synonym Study

Pain , ache , agony , anguish are terms for sensations causing suffering or torment. Pain and ache usually refer to physical sensations (except heartache ); agony and anguish may be physical or mental. Pain suggests a sudden sharp twinge: a pain in one's ankle. Ache applies to a continuous pain, whether acute or dull: headache; muscular aches. Agony implies a continuous, excruciating, scarcely endurable pain: in agony from a wound. Anguish suggests not only extreme and long-continued pain, but also a feeling of despair. See care.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"We haven't spoken for years and he thinks I'm a disgrace. These things are what pain is to me."

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Yes, bony fish have bones, but they can be a pain to deal with.

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GPs initially said her pain was caused from "over-exercise" or "anxiety".

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"I read a heart breaking story about a mother who'd just moved into a house, and her young child got some splinters in his toes and was in quite a lot of pain," he said.

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China also has a higher threshold for pain as an authoritarian regime, as it is far less worried about short-term public opinion.

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Paimio chair Paine

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