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
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
Such software flaws can be painstaking for human researchers to find and are coveted by spy agencies and cybercriminals for conducting stealthy hacks.
—Sean Lyngaas, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
It was built not on lofty declarations, but on monitoring, transparency, and painstaking diplomacy.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
The painstaking process might take years.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
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Adjective
This emotional dramedy from Tamara Jenkins follows a middle-aged couple and their painstaking efforts to have a baby.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
Such software flaws can be painstaking for human researchers to find and are coveted by spy agencies and cybercriminals for conducting stealthy hacks.
—Sean Lyngaas, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
It was built not on lofty declarations, but on monitoring, transparency, and painstaking diplomacy.
—Comfort Ero, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
The painstaking process might take years.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 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 11 Apr. 2026.
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