painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
painfuller ˈpān-fə-lər How to pronounce painful (audio) ; painfullest
1
a
: feeling or giving pain
a painful injury
2
: requiring effort or exertion
a long painful trip
3
archaic : careful, diligent
painfully adverb
painfulness noun

Examples of painful in a Sentence

I got a painful sunburn. We can't ignore our country's painful history of slavery. His questions brought up a lot of painful memories. It was painful to watch.
Recent Examples on the Web The most painful part, many said, was being in the dark about their fate. Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 Despite making five birdies, McIlroy shot four bogeys and three-putted for a painful double bogey at the 14th hole to card a one-over 73 for and fall to eight strokes behind leader Clark. Jack Bantock, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 The wrapping marks, cut into the clay like a memory made concrete, oscillate between signs of painful bondage and a warm embrace, a tension both social and artistic in 1970s Korean culture. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 In January, Eggert told PEOPLE that she was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a painful lump in her left breast after conducting a self-examination. EW.com, 15 Mar. 2024 In 2019, Corben was plunged into a painful divorce to her college sweetheart and husband of 23 years. Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 When the Fed began aggressively raising rates in March 2022 to fight the worst bout of inflation in four decades, a painful recession was widely predicted, with waves of layoffs and high unemployment. Paul Wiseman, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 As a proud Jew for Palestinian freedom, being excluded from a rally against antisemitism was painful. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 On its own, the death of any child is a painful and agonizing time for a parent. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'painful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of painful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near painful

Cite this Entry

“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painful. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

painful

adjective
pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
: feeling or giving pain
painfully adverb
painfulness noun

Medical Definition

painful

adjective
pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
painfuller -fə-lər How to pronounce painful (audio) ; painfullest
: feeling or giving pain
painfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on painful

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