painstaking

1 of 2

adjective

pains·​tak·​ing ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ 

: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort

painstaking research

painstaking tasks

painstaking accuracy

painstakingly

ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ-lē 

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

Synonyms of painstaking

Adjective

• meticulous
• careful
• conscientious
• loving
• diligent

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

That's a painstaking process involving dozens of other experts that will ultimately set the stage for the kind of larger, multisite trials that can get at some fundamental questions for scientists and the public. — Will Stone, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026

Even when working with certified cotton backed by transaction certificates, tracing the fiber back through the supply chain took hours of painstaking investigation. — Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026

Yet now, that painstaking optimization is becoming a potentially catastrophic vulnerability. — Todd J. Stein, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026

Conceived in collaboration with Coppola and sponsored by Cartier, the Château de Versailles is staging an exhibition about the film’s fascinating origin, painstaking production and cultural impact. — Stephanie Sporn, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1685, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for painstaking

• awaking
• backbreaking
• bookmaking
• breathtaking
• brickmaking
• caretaking
• dressmaking
• filmmaking
• forsaking
• glassmaking
• groundbreaking
• haymaking

Kids Definition

painstaking

adjective

pains·​tak·​ing

ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ

: taking or showing great care and effort

a painstaking search

painstakingly

-kiŋ-lē

adverb