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
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Securing And Optimizing Workforce And Talent Finding and retaining skilled employees remains a significant pain point for many small businesses, which are often constrained by limited recruitment resources and competitive salaries. Ibrahim Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025 Our consumers love that there’s a company of good old Midwest folks — not an elitist tech company, or anything like that — who are trying to save me a little bit [of money] on something that’s a pain point already. Tom Huddleston Jr., CNBC, 3 July 2025 The Federal Reserve’s decision not to cut interest rates yet this year due to market uncertainty and stronger-than-expected labor data has been a pain point for President Donald Trump. Preston Fore, Fortune, 2 July 2025 The issue became an unexpected pain point in Skydance’s pursuit of FCC approval to take over the CBS licenses. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for pain point

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pain point was in 1986

Cite this Entry

“Pain point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pain%20point. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!