pain point

noun

plural pain points

: a persistent or recurring problem (as with a product or service) that frequently inconveniences or annoys customers

When you're in an established market, you have an established customer; their needs and pain points are clearly laid out on your competitors' review sites.

—Billy Polson

Customer service, which has been a pain point of bigger banks for years, is also improving in that it's getting faster and requires little from you.

—Chris Welch

broadly : something that is a recurring source of trouble, annoyance, or distress

One generation's parenting gospel often becomes another's pain point.

—Lynda Lin Grigsby

Meanwhile, ironing is a pain point with her boyfriend because she loves the look of a crisply pressed men's shirt. "He never irons his shirts and it drives me crazy," she [Elyse Moody] says.

—Jura Konicus

Examples of pain point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Transport for London has used journey mapping and ethnographic research to understand commuter pain points, including that the experience of waiting isn’t just about how long the wait is. — Jen Fuller, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

According to The Lycra Company’s 2025 consumer study conducted by VML, sweat is a significant concern for end consumers, with respondents across all demographics naming it their number-one pain point. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

Of course, not every aspect of travel goes quite so smoothly, which is why Mitchell’s approach to Béis is all about solving those pain points. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 17 Aug. 2026

The stagnation of Medicaid reimbursement rates, a pain point at all hospitals may be a factor impacting staffing and boarding rates, according to lawmakers. — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pain point

• adjoint
• anoint
• appoint
• checkpoint
• conjoint
• disjoint
• endpoint
• gunpoint
• midpoint
• nonpoint
• pinpoint
• standpoint