pains·tak·ing
ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ 
: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort
painstaking research
painstaking tasks
painstaking accuracy
: the action of taking pains : diligent care and effort
… greater painstaking to achieve incidental verisimilitude and accuracy of detail …—
Times Literary Supplement
Times Literary SupplementExamples of painstaking in a Sentence
Adjective
The book describes the election process in painstaking detail.
she was always painstaking about her work
Recent Examples on the Web
Willem Marx, NPR, 20 June 2025
In a place where concrete arches meet the sky and sculptural ambition is achieved over years of painstaking work, Piaget’s latest high jewelry outing felt right at home.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 19 June 2025
It’s been painstaking work, for instance, for Boston’s library to scan and curate dozens of New England’s French-language newspapers that were widely read in the late 19th and early 20th century by Canadian immigrant communities from Quebec.
—Matt O'Brien, Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2025
Instead, be ready to share real insights, painstaking market research, true stories from customers and tips from the trenches.
—Claire Trimble, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
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Adjective
The painstaking process of reassembling these fragments has been a monumental undertaking, experts say, akin to solving an immense historical puzzle.
—Willem Marx, NPR, 20 June 2025
In a place where concrete arches meet the sky and sculptural ambition is achieved over years of painstaking work, Piaget’s latest high jewelry outing felt right at home.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 19 June 2025
It’s been painstaking work, for instance, for Boston’s library to scan and curate dozens of New England’s French-language newspapers that were widely read in the late 19th and early 20th century by Canadian immigrant communities from Quebec.
—Matt O'Brien, Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2025
Instead, be ready to share real insights, painstaking market research, true stories from customers and tips from the trenches.
—Claire Trimble, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
Cite this Entry
“Painstaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painstaking. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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