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

The result is a boisterous, exhausting drama that struggles to balance trauma, satire and the painful legacy of Black sitcom fame. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

But continuing to fight this war would court economic disaster, and that would be far more painful. — Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026

Woman after woman told USA TODAY that physicians never talked to their mothers who had become seriously ill or died about vaginal estrogen, something that would have alleviated their painful UTIs – and ultimately prevented them in the first place. — Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026

There is no writer like Stoppard for advocating gloriously, with such relish in the argument, for both form and chaos — the miraculous possibility of meaning and the painful, worthwhile human mess that will, for the most part, obscure it. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Sep. 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