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
Howard Walker, Robb Report, 10 June 2026
Even the color palette required painstaking attention.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Kingsbury, continuing the painstaking review of security camera footage that has marked the trial, said Sergio Harris, 38, was the first to open fire, fatally shooting Davazia Turner before Harris, himself, was killed.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026
Where fruit pies and galettes take painstaking time and attention, cobblers and the like come together quickly and painlessly.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
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Adjective
Its painstaking, four-year restoration cost over $700,000.
—Howard Walker, Robb Report, 10 June 2026
Even the color palette required painstaking attention.
—Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
Kingsbury, continuing the painstaking review of security camera footage that has marked the trial, said Sergio Harris, 38, was the first to open fire, fatally shooting Davazia Turner before Harris, himself, was killed.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026
Where fruit pies and galettes take painstaking time and attention, cobblers and the like come together quickly and painlessly.
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
Cite this Entry
“Painstaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painstaking. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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