painstaking

adjective

pains·tak·ing | \ ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ

Definition of painstaking

(Entry 1 of 2)

: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort painstaking research painstaking tasks painstaking accuracy

painstaking

noun

Definition of painstaking (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from painstaking Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about painstaking

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Synonyms & Antonyms for painstaking

Synonyms: Adjective

careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, scrupulous

Antonyms: Adjective

careless

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: Adjective

Amidst the rush to war following the attack, there was also the painstaking effort to recover those who had been sunk with ships like the USS Oklahoma and the USS Arizona. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "After 77 Years, We're Still Identifying Men Who Died at Pearl Harbor," 7 Dec. 2018 The nation hung on the unfolding drama: The painstaking effort to drill another shaft, parallel to hers. — Jess Bidgood, New York Times, "What Did Baby Jessica Think of the Thai Cave Rescue? She Had No Idea It Happened," 11 July 2018 And on Father’s Day, Roberts would send cards to his father, each time taking the painstaking effort of searching for the right words to inscribe. — Dylan Hernandez, latimes.com, "Dave Roberts leaned on his late father to survive his first managerial crisis," 16 June 2018 His first results were too painstaking to assemble. — John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, "Neat 12-Sided Origami Bot Traps Squid and Jellyfish Without Hurting Them," 18 July 2018 From a mod library in orange and charcoal to a sparkling white kitchen and leopard walls, a 300-year old colonial in Westchester County, New York, get a painstaking redo—and a dose of 21st-century glam. — Fred Nicolaus, House Beautiful, "How Andrew Flesher Used Bright Colors And Leopard Print To Rescue A Historic Home," 6 Dec. 2018 Timeless design, painstaking craftsmanship, and real wood construction—lending permanence, warmth and meaning to your country home. — Country Living, "YOUR HOME DESERVES MORE THAN ORDINARY DOORS," 2 Oct. 2018 Across the bay Théodore Reinach, the politician and scholar, conceived of the inimitable Villa Kerylos, a painstaking reconstruction of an ancient Greek villa built on Delos in the second century BC. — James Mcauley, Town & Country, "The Tragic, Fascinating History of Santo Sospir," 13 Aug. 2018 Their experiences, and mine, illustrate one of the more difficult challenges of decarbonizing the economy: Right now, most homes are heated and cooled by fossil fuels, and changing that is going to be complicated and painstaking. — David Roberts, Vox, "Most American homes are still heated with fossil fuels. It’s time to electrify.," 2 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Both Corker and Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, credited McCarry with leading the painstaking, behind-the-scenes negotiations. — Joshua Goodman, BostonGlobe.com, "Back channel with Boston roots helped free Utah man in Venezuela," 27 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'painstaking.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.