pains·tak·ing
ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ 
: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort
painstaking research
painstaking tasks
painstaking accuracy
: the action of taking pains : diligent care and effort
… greater painstaking to achieve incidental verisimilitude and accuracy of detail …—
Times Literary Supplement
Times Literary SupplementExamples of painstaking in a Sentence
Adjective
The book describes the election process in painstaking detail.
she was always painstaking about her work
Recent Examples on the Web
Carrie Teegardin, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
Working from original source film elements, the lab completed a full 4K scan followed by 150 hours of painstaking digital work on individual frames.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
That deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, followed two years of painstaking negotiations that were predicated on a similar, yet more detailed framework, called the JCPOA.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Its painstaking, four-year restoration cost over $700,000.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
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Adjective
Some of the most painstaking work involved the individual alternative medicine businesses highlighted in the series.
—Carrie Teegardin, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
Working from original source film elements, the lab completed a full 4K scan followed by 150 hours of painstaking digital work on individual frames.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 June 2026
That deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, followed two years of painstaking negotiations that were predicated on a similar, yet more detailed framework, called the JCPOA.
—Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Its painstaking, four-year restoration cost over $700,000.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
Cite this Entry
“Painstaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painstaking. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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