painful

pain·ful

adjective \ˈpān-fəl\

pain·ful·ler \-fə-lər\ pain·ful·lest

Definition of PAINFUL

1

a : feeling or giving pain <a painful injury>

b : irksome, annoying

2

: requiring effort or exertion <a long painful trip>

3

archaic : careful, diligent

— pain·ful·ly \-f(ə-)lē\ adverb

— pain·ful·ness \-fəl-nəs\ noun

Examples of PAINFUL

1. I got a painful sunburn.
2. We can't ignore our country's painful history of slavery.
3. His questions brought up a lot of painful memories.
4. It was painful to watch.

First Known Use of PAINFUL

14th century

Related to PAINFUL

Synonyms

aching, achy, afflictive, hurting, nasty, sore

Antonyms

indolent, painless

Related Words

agonizing, excruciating, torturous; damaging, deleterious, detrimental, harmful, hurtful, injurious, noxious, pernicious; raw, tender; bleeding, burning, chafing, cramping, festering; itching, nagging, pinching, pricking, prickling, smarting, stinging; inflamed (also enflamed), swollen; grievous, severe, threatening, wounding

Near Antonyms

curative, healing, helping, remedial

Rhymes with PAINFUL

baneful, gainful

pain·ful

adjective \ˈpān-fəl\   (Medical Dictionary)

pain·ful·ler \-fə-lər\ (audio pronunciation); pain·ful·lest

Medical Definition of PAINFUL

: feeling or giving pain

—pain·ful·ly \-f(ə-)lē\ (audio pronunciation) adverb