painless

adjective

pain·​less ˈpān-ləs 

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

Synonyms of painless

• easy
• smooth
• simple
• cheap

Examples of painless in a Sentence

getting paid to watch and review movies seems like a painless way to earn a living

Recent Examples on the Web

Bringing inflation down to the Federal Reserve's 2% target won't be painless, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said in a speech in London, according to Bloomberg . — Kevin Stankiewicz,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026

Bites from bats may be painless and may not leave a mark, the health department warns. — Riley Moser, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026

All that’s required is a compromised website—a painless enough task—a fake CAPTCHA overlay, and the inclusion of a single terminal command. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

People are increasingly looking to coronary artery calcium scans as a quick and painless way to learn more about their heart health risk—important information, considering heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. — Laura Bradley, HEALTH, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for painless

• brainless
• rainless
• stainless

Medical Definition

painless

adjective

pain·​less ˈpān-ləs 

1

: not experiencing pain

2

: not causing pain : not accompanied by pain : not painful

painless surgery

painlessly adverb