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
Early symptoms of ovarian cancer -- including mild bloating, stomach pain, or early satiety -- are easy to mistake for routine acid reflux, indigestion, or constipation. — Yonathan Daniel, ABC News, 8 July 2026 Pioneering gene-editing treatments are already in clinical use, saving lives and easing the pain of devastating genetic diseases. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Verb
His disaffection baffles his acquaintances and pains his tubercular wife (a superb Quinn Jackson), whose doctor (Lambert Tamin) has only contempt for her husband’s agonizing. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026 Today, mindful of the most recent wars, mindful of all the atrocities com-mitted, this happy fantasy has lost its charm, death has lost its innocence, pain its magnitude, irreversible. — Literary Hub, 31 Mar. 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
  • Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea and confusion.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • About 20% of infected people will develop mild symptoms such as a fever, body aches and nausea.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of ache
Noun
  • Lewbel said distress detection is no longer a feature of Flock's system, but did not respond to questions about what led to that decision or whether it had ever been used by law enforcement.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • However, evidence of an ancient alien civilization and a frantic distress call from deep space instantly cut those celebrations short.
    — Paul Brett, Space.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Sit, who went by the first name Tony, operated Happy K9 Academy and the dogs were in his care when they were kept in crates in a hot van and died, the district attorney’s office said.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 11 July 2026
  • Vivani argues that helping patients stay on treatment could also generate savings for the health-care system by reducing the risk of costly conditions linked to obesity.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of care
Noun
  • To minimize risks during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises incorporating frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • The hours between finishing work for the day and going out to dinner are the calm before the storm.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of work
Noun
  • This is a nuisance for many people who are using generative AI purely to draft text.
    — Michael Leone, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The city of Fort Worth is asking a Tarrant County court to declare an East Lancaster Avenue motel a common nuisance, and force its ownership to fix what the city alleges are years of persistent criminal activity.
    — Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 July 2026
Definition of nuisance
Verb
  • Ganfield said she wasn’t hurt and is prioritizing Turner’s recovery.
    — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Patagonia’s owner, Yvonn Chouinard, has designed the various ownership models for the company so that it would be kept out of the hands of outside investors that could push it away from its environmentally focused mission or hurt its employees.
    — Charlotte Hu, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of hurt
Noun
  • When its inevitable end arrives, the sun’s core will exhaust the last traces of hydrogen fuel and kick off the first stellar death pangs.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026
  • Kanaal is king for indulging elevenses hunger pangs, providing cakes, cookies, tea, coffee, and made-to-order traditional Dutch sweets including stroopwafles and puffertjes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 June 2026
Definition of pang
Noun
  • For nearly three weeks, 21-year-old Denijah Myers has been missing, and her family is in agony.
    — Francie Ebert, NBC news, 13 July 2026
  • Wells’s parents expressed their own version of that agony at a press conference with Crump on Friday in New York City.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 13 July 2026
Definition of agony

Phrases Containing pain

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pain
pained
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Cite this Entry

“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pain

Nglish: Translation of pain for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pain

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