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View synonyms for

painful

[ peyn-fuhl ]

adjective

  1. affected with, causing, or characterized by pain:

    a painful wound; a painful night; a painful memory.

    Synonyms: ,

  2. laborious; exacting; difficult:

    a painful life.

    Synonyms:

    Antonyms:

  3. Archaic. painstaking; careful.


painful

/ ˈɪԴʊ /

adjective

  1. causing pain; distressing

    a painful duty

  2. affected with pain

    a painful leg

  3. tedious or difficult
  4. informal.
    extremely bad

    a painful performance

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ貹Դڳܱ, adverb
  • ˈ貹ԴڳܱԱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 貹fܱ· adverb
  • 貹fܱ·Ա noun
  • v·貹fܱ adjective
  • over·貹fܱ· adverb
  • over·貹fܱ·Ա noun
  • ܲ·貹fܱ adjective
  • un·貹fܱ· adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of painful1

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; pain, -ful
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Speaking after the verdict at the Old Bailey, Mr Kaba's family said it was "painful proof that our lives are not valued by the system".

From

But the most painful thing were the hives - red, raised bumps on the skin - which felt "like boiling water had been poured over me".

From

Her skeleton shows a healed fracture to her arm, while her tooth was infected and had an abscess, which exposed the roots and must have been painful.

From

Miraculously Terry survived and after a long and painful recovery, he tried to return to work.

From

It's very painful, but I'm waiting on surgery, and it means I'm never going to be able to walk again.

From

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Painesvillepain in the neck