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.
Oscar Isaac makes for an operatic Victor Frankenstein, the egotistical scientist determined to play god, while Jacob Elordi portrays his creation as a pained soul struggling to be loved. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025 Meanwhile, a pained Abe stands by Trump’s side, mimicking the U.S. president’s body language and perhaps looking for an opportunity to diffuse the tension. Michael J. Green, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2025 Pope Francis recorded a pained and labored audio message Thursday to thank people for their prayers for his recovery, the first public sign of life from the 88-year-old pope since he was hospitalized three weeks ago with double pneumonia. Brian Bennett, Time, 15 Oct. 2025 The pained nuance that McDonald brought to George C. Wolfe’s 2024 production of Gypsy radiates throughout this radio play-style album. Joe Lynch, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Pained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pained. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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