pain 1 of 2

noun

ˈpān How to pronounce pain (audio)
Definition of painnext
1
as in ache
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body the child was crying because of a pain in her knee

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2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind a sprained ankle caused him great pain for a week

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3
as in care
pains plural strict attentiveness to what one is doing asked the movers to take pains to be sure that they didn't damage anything while moving the furniture

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4
as in work
pains plural the active use of energy in producing a result she was at pains to reassure us that everything would be fine

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5
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying sometimes that child, who apparently never tires of asking questions, can be such a pain

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pain

2 of 2

verb

as in to ache
to feel or cause physical pain my poor head was paining so from all that racket

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pain
Noun
College President Abiódún Gòkè-Paríolá issued a statement to the campus community Monday, saying no words can ease the pain of their loss. — Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 Still, there are lingering questions about how Kimberly-Clark will integrate Kenvue, navigate higher input costs, and manage the legal troubles surrounding popular over-the-counter pain reliever, Tylenol. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Verb
Adelman was pained by his Kings exit. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026 But as a catcher, he’s used to pain. — Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
  1. ache
  2. distress
  3. care
  4. work
  5. nuisance
  6. hurt
  7. pang
  8. agony
Noun
  • Some good medications to have include ibuprofen or naproxen, which can relieve headaches, body aches and sore throats by reducing inflammation and Acetaminophen, which can lower body temperature.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The non-invasive form can cause gastrointestinal distress, fever and aches for a few days.
    — Eva Flowe October 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ache
Noun
  • The rise of self-harm influencers—people for whom demonstrating their distress online has become a source of income and validation—is a terrifying new development.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
  • CoreWeave, the leader of the pack, has seen spreads on its CDS widen past 11%, generally viewed as a distress level, as investors have to pay up for protection against default.
    — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Those figures largely predate the state’s move to universal free child care, which began in November 2025 and is funded by an oil and gas windfall.
    — Martie Bowser, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In a bucket hat and without a care in the world, Murray speaks kindly but candidly about making his buddy Coyne’s TV dream come true.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of care
Noun
  • The announcement did not specify when testing would begin or disclose results from previous development work.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Every order completed by a robot represents work that potentially could have gone to a human courier.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of work
Noun
  • In Shibuya, Halloween festivities were already a nuisance — but now, officials realized there was more to worry about than empty bottles and loud music.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The residents want a court to rule that Los Angeles must abate the nuisance on its properties, Wurman said.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of nuisance
Verb
  • The growing cost of the war and its economic ripple effects on energy prices could hurt Republicans in next week's midterm elections.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Caminero appeared to hurt his left foot but stayed in the game.
    — Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of hurt
Noun
  • Dining in the lounge is available all day to cater to international hunger pangs that don’t follow the same schedule as those of Spaniards.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Now, the new smaller version is available for hunger pangs between meals as many consumers are replacing traditional meals with snacks throughout the day, according to Datassential.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of pang
Noun
  • Taking the McDavid minutes away gives us the purest form of agony these defencemen are experiencing at this time.
    — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The prisoner in question, Doug Korpi, had also admitted that his agony was an act to journalist Ben Blum, who included the revelation in a broader takedown of the experiment published in 2018.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of agony

Phrases Containing pain

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pained
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Cite this Entry

“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pain

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