Synonyms of pain

pain 1 of 2

noun

ˈpān 

1

as in ache

a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body

the child was crying because of a pain in her knee

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ache
• pang
• tingle
• sting
• stitch
• soreness
• swelling
• agony
• twinge
• prick
• discomfort
• sore
• suffering
• headache
• tenderness
• shoot
• anguish
• distress
• misery
• inflammation
• smart
• throe
• injury
• hurt
• torture
• torment
• harm
• sufferance
• toothache
• backache
• damage
• affliction
• detriment
• colic
• complaint
• gripe
• stomachache
• earache
• bellyache
• charley horse

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ease
• comfort
• easiness

2

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind

a sprained ankle caused him great pain for a week

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distress
• agony
• anguish
• misery
• discomfort
• torment
• torture
• hurt
• sorrow
• tribulation
• sadness
• pang
• woe
• excruciation
• heartbreak
• travail
• hardship
• rack
• difficulty
• ache
• affliction
• strait(s)
• trouble
• danger
• heartache
• unhappiness
• emergency
• soreness
• cross
• crucible
• twinge
• trial
• joylessness
• stitch
• jeopardy
• pinch
• smarting
• rigor
• throe
• asperity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• relief
• comfort
• consolation
• solace
• ease
• alleviation
• security
• peace
• assuagement
• well-being

3

as in care

pains plural strict attentiveness to what one is doing

asked the movers to take pains to be sure that they didn't damage anything while moving the furniture

Synonyms & Similar Words

• care
• carefulness
• attention
• scrupulousness
• conscientiousness
• observation
• closeness
• meticulousness
• meticulosity
• heed
• concentration
• watchfulness
• observance
• focus
• heedfulness
• responsibility
• effort
• vigilance
• mindfulness
• alertness
• trouble
• precision
• advertency
• painstaking
• punctiliousness
• advertence
• exactness
• bother
• irreproachability
• irreproachableness
• particularity
• dutifulness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• negligence
• inattentiveness
• heedlessness
• inattention
• inadvertence
• inadvertency
• inobservance

4

as in work

pains plural the active use of energy in producing a result

she was at pains to reassure us that everything would be fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• work
• labor
• exertion
• effort
• trouble
• expenditure
• sweat
• while
• power
• toil
• drudgery
• elbow grease
• strain
• muscle
• energy
• travail
• might
• try
• slog
• dint
• trial
• grind
• stab
• attempt
• endeavor
• force
• pass
• essay
• go
• puissance
• shot
• whack
• fling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ease
• facility
• smoothness
• fluency
• inertia
• inaction
• inactivity
• laziness
• indolence
• idleness
• adroitness
• dormancy
• quiescence
• languor

5

as in nuisance

one who is obnoxiously annoying

sometimes that child, who apparently never tires of asking questions, can be such a pain

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nuisance
• annoyance
• pest
• annoyer
• tease
• headache
• pain in the neck
• bother
• gadfly
• persecutor
• nudnick
• teaser
• gnawer
• plague
• nudnik
• tormenter
• interruptor
• torturer
• tormentor
• interrupter
• harrier
• heckler
• harasser
• hassle
• molester

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• smoothie
• charmer
• comforter
• soother
• smoothy
• solacer

pain

2 of 2

verb

as in to ache

to feel or cause physical pain

my poor head was paining so from all that racket

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ache
• hurt
• throb
• tingle
• sting
• swell
• cramp
• anguish
• smart
• bite
• itch
• bleed
• torment
• suffer
• fester
• burn
• pinch
• nag
• torture
• rack
• twinge
• chafe
• agonize
• afflict
• pound
• harrow

Examples of pain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Discomfort levels depend on pain tolerance, treatment area, and laser type. —Iman Balagam, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2024

No wonder he’s considered the greatest Dodgers pitcher of all time and no wonder he was forced to retire a year later because of excruciating arm pain. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024

Verb

The care center also notes that sometimes pain that's felt in your belly can also be related to an issue in your chest, pelvis, or spine. —Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024

Loading your audio article In spite of its power, Israel is losing the war Irbid, Jordan: I am pained by what is happening in Gaza. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2024

Phrases Containing pain

• pain in the neck