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
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
The episodes are illustrated with portraits, documents and painstaking recreations.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
After intensive practice, the patient was able to move a cursor on a screen—a significant achievement, but a painstaking one.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
Sharing a series of photos documenting the painstaking process, the homeowner revealed layers of paint, tar, and other substances that had built up over the years.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
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Adjective
Hong Kong — The remains of some of those killed in last week’s inferno at a Hong Kong apartment complex may never be recovered, a city official said Monday, as a painstaking search effort continues at the site.
—Chris Lau, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
The episodes are illustrated with portraits, documents and painstaking recreations.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025
After intensive practice, the patient was able to move a cursor on a screen—a significant achievement, but a painstaking one.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
Sharing a series of photos documenting the painstaking process, the homeowner revealed layers of paint, tar, and other substances that had built up over the years.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 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 3 Dec. 2025.
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