painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl 

painfuller ˈpān-fə-lər  ; painfullest

1

a

: feeling or giving pain

a painful injury

b

: irksome, annoying

2

: requiring effort or exertion

a long painful trip

3

archaic : careful, diligent

painfully

ˈpān-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

painfulness

ˈpān-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of painful

• sore
• aching
• hurting

Examples of painful in a Sentence

I got a painful sunburn.

We can't ignore our country's painful history of slavery.

His questions brought up a lot of painful memories.

It was painful to watch.

Recent Examples on the Web

Before such blood tests became available, patients underwent either PET imaging or painful lumbar puncture to access cerebrospinal fluid. — New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2026

There is no cure for it, which means the common symptoms of painful blisters on the hands, feet and mouth, a fever and sore throat are things Scheffler had to play through without relief. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Hayden Panettiere's mother is opening up about the painful final months of her daughter's life and the estrangement that kept them apart before the actress' death. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026

And fourth, each moved fast, front-loading the painful medicine of store closures, marketplace cleanups, and resetting Wall Street expectations immediately upon taking over, rather than kicking the can down the road, letting problems fester. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing painful

• painful to the touch

Rhymes for painful

• baneful
• gainful
• disdainful

Kids Definition

painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl 

: feeling or giving pain

painfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

painfulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun

Medical Definition

painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl 

painfuller -fə-lər  ; painfullest

: feeling or giving pain

painfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb