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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a sprained ankle caused him great pain for a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
sometimes that child, who apparently never tires of asking questions, can be such a pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Other benefits of acupuncture were pain intensity reduction, an improvement of physical functions, and fewer anxiety symptoms.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Not pain good enough to go and end her life.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
Supply chain pains Raj Kandola from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said that suppliers and companies further down the chain are most vulnerable to the knock-on effects of the shutdown.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Other benefits of acupuncture were pain intensity reduction, an improvement of physical functions, and fewer anxiety symptoms.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
But following her pregnancy, Alvarez was pained by how much her symptoms were affecting her family.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Not pain good enough to go and end her life.
—Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
-
That includes neck, back and shoulder aches, and fragmented sleep from switching positions more often throughout the night.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Beyond the Panthers’ internal pain, there’s also an ache that everyone around the organization feels for Barkov because of the Olympics.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Cowley has suffered financial losses, lost time, anxiety and emotional distress because of the data breach, according to the complaint.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Oct. 2025
-
With presidential elections not scheduled until at least 2027, however, Chetouane said the country is currently avoiding idiosyncratic distress.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Late public school buses and needing to take care of an occasionally sick child, along with at capacity or costly child care centers, contributed to her precarious employment.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Oct. 2025
-
While the exact date of the ownership change is still unknown, operations will shift under the United Community Center — including a new age cap of 3 years for on-campus care and a schedule that no longer aligns with Alverno’s academic breaks.—
Gina Lee Castro,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And now more employees are finding that talking about it at work can be, too.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Composure personified, underpinned by tremendous work rate.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Situations like this are certainly a nuisance, but the quickest way to cause animosity with your neighbors is to come between them and their sleep.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
-
While many consider the mammal a nuisance for raiding garbage cans and damaging property, raccoons can also carry diseases, and they probably shouldn't be kept as housepets.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This ultimately hurts the American people, the people who pay their salaries.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
-
But the sale also diminishes some hopes that Berkshire would buy Oxy in its entirety, potentially hurting the stock.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Each pang of anxiety over my son’s disinterest is tempered by that memory.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Sharp cracks of gunfire pierced the morning air, loud, jarring pangs that echoed off the concrete.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Safdie may have found a new way to make a sports drama, one that relies less on the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat and more on all that is contained in the ambivalent middle.—
Richard Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Lessing expresses no regret or agony at her childhood actions, or at what happens next.—
Rebecca van Laer
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share