painless

adjective

pain·​less ˈpān-ləs How to pronounce painless (audio)
1
: not causing or accompanied by physical pain : not painful
a painless skin growth
painless medical procedures
… the medical exam may include an electrocardiogram, or EKG. This noninvasive test is a painless procedure that measures your heart's activity.Sarah Shelton
The relatively painless injections are intended to provide temporary relief for arthritic pain and stiffness.Larry Katzenstein
2
: not difficult : not causing or involving complications or emotional distress
There's an easy way to apply for federal aid in the form of grants and student loans: Just fill out the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It's a fairly painless process, and you can even do it online.Maurie Backman
a quick and painless solution
painlessly adverb
painlessness noun

Examples of painless in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And the labor market appears to be decelerating in a relatively painless way: Employers are posting fewer job openings but not laying off many workers. Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2024 The most common symptom of retinal detachment is sudden, painless vision loss, often described as a curtain-like shadow that moves across the field of vision. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 This first phase was supposed to be the easy part, making a few budget adjustments that are relatively painless compared with the deeper cuts that may be coming this summer. Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 There’s no need to worry — the process is relatively painless. Jared Ranahan, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2024 She was surprised by how routine, relatively painless and quick — less than 15 minutes — the procedure was. Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Pushing past fears or powerful messages that define us and going against societal constraints is not painless. Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Many big brands have tried to make returns as free and painless as possible, and consumers haven’t hesitated to take advantage. Brian Cheung, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2024 At the last minute, Mike will inevitably use his memory to find a painless path to victory. Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'painless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of painless was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near painless

Cite this Entry

“Painless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painless. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

painless

adjective
pain·​less ˈpān-ləs How to pronounce painless (audio)
1
: not experiencing pain
2
: not causing pain : not accompanied by pain : not painful
painless surgery
painlessly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on painless

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