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

Not only does this type of pain point to an underlying injury, pushing through can lead to a secondary injury, because other muscles and tissues absorb extra stress to compensate. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 23 June 2025

One of the biggest pain points for banks interested in digital assets has been the lack of a clear regulatory framework. —Ron Shevlin, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025

Aligned with national strategies for ultrahigh-definition video, the UHD HUB presents cutting-edge technology, reflecting industry hotspots and addressing pain points. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 June 2025

Credit cards Credit card debt continues to be a pain point for consumers struggling to keep up with high prices. —Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 16 June 2025

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