painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
painfuller ˈpān-fə-lər How to pronounce painful (audio) ; painfullest
Synonyms of painfulnext
1
a
: feeling or giving pain
a painful injury
2
: requiring effort or exertion
a long painful trip
3
archaic : careful, diligent
painfully adverb
painfulness noun

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
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.
As the infection takes hold, a patient’s jaw clenches, forcing the face into what appears to be a wide smile, and the back muscles contort into a painful arch. Mustafa Fattah, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025 On Tuesday, at the conclusion of a long and painful fight, Jeannot scored the takedown on Anderson. Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025 The stand-up scenes ring true, and are even painful when Alex vents rather than invents on stage. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025 Can Prevent Gout Attacks Gout is a common, intensely painful form of arthritis that most often affects the big toe. Jennifer Lefton, Verywell Health, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for painful

Word History

First Known Use

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painful. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

painful

adjective
pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
: feeling or giving pain
painfully adverb
painfulness noun

Medical Definition

painful

adjective
pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
painfuller -fə-lər How to pronounce painful (audio) ; painfullest
: feeling or giving pain
painfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on painful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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