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
The latter scene is captured in tight close-up as director Jon M. Chu trains the camera on Grande’s face, which oscillates between heartbreak, anger and pained resignation.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Nov. 2025
The educator, who appeared pale in the body-camera footage with a pained expression on her face, is seen carried out on a stretcher.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 31 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pained
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Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Nov. 2025
The educator, who appeared pale in the body-camera footage with a pained expression on her face, is seen carried out on a stretcher.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 31 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pained
Cite this Entry
“Pained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pained. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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