Synonyms of painednext
1
: feeling pain : hurt
2
: expressing or involving pain
a pained expression
with pained surprise

Examples of pained in a Sentence

She wore a pained expression on her face. He truly looked pained when he heard the news.
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.
The story lacks the pained, human relatability of the OG. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026 The pained-looking expressions on the faces and a gloss of eerie motion smoothing communicate the central thesis that Altman can’t be trusted. Cath Virginia, The Verge, 11 Apr. 2026 The same can be said of Underwood, who has mastered the art of the pained expression like no one in the Big Ten since Bobby Knight. Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2026 Luis was dressed in his hospital pyjamas; his pained breathing fogged his mask while the oxygen canister gurgled and whirred. Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pained

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pained was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pained. Accessed 4 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on pained

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster