painstaking

1 of 2

adjective

pains·​tak·​ing ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ How to pronounce painstaking (audio)
: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort
painstaking research
painstaking tasks
painstaking accuracy
painstakingly adverb

painstaking

2 of 2

noun

: the action of taking pains : diligent care and effort
… greater painstaking to achieve incidental verisimilitude and accuracy of detail …Times Literary Supplement

Examples 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
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.
Adjective
This process is painstaking, and the clay on many previous specimens has been inadvertently damaged or removed during preparation. Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 23 Oct. 2025 The culmination of three painstaking years of development and over 40,000 hours of work, this striking black-and-white automotive tribute is touted as the most complex, most technically ambitious Phantom Private Collection model ever. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2025 Fans may remember the painstaking reissue process Jordan Brand exercised for this particular release, which was intended to make the 2025 version of the sneaker as close to the 1985 original as possible. Riley Jones, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025 This is the painstaking process of counting and measuring every stud, sheet of drywall, window, and baseboard from 2D plans, quietly devouring time and budgets. Jon Stojan, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for painstaking

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1685, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of painstaking was in 1538

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Cite this Entry

“Painstaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painstaking. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

painstaking

adjective
pains·​tak·​ing
ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ
: taking or showing great care and effort
a painstaking search
painstakingly
-kiŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on painstaking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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