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
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Recent Examples of pain
Graham Scott, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Woods checked into rehab shortly after that incident, saying his efforts to manage insomnia and pain from his staggering number of surgeries on his own was a mistake.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Missing Barcelona pained Vowles and Williams as a whole.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
Referees are people, too, and feel the pain inflicted by a video review system that is simply not fit for purpose.
—Graham Scott, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Woods checked into rehab shortly after that incident, saying his efforts to manage insomnia and pain from his staggering number of surgeries on his own was a mistake.
—Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
The disappearances also pain me.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Missing Barcelona pained Vowles and Williams as a whole.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
-
Some of the first signs of Lyme disease include mild fever, joint aches, muscle pain, fatigue and headache.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
9 Apr. 2026
-
When to see a doctor Ashamalla stressed that people shouldn’t be frightened by every ache or pain.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The lawsuit filed by the girl's parents alleges wrongful death, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Research indicates that retirees who define themselves primarily through their careers are vulnerable to prolonged distress.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Prosecutors said the court issued an order preventing him from owning, possessing or having any animals in his care or custody.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Noah James, who plays Andrew, and Vanessa Benavente, who plays Mother Mary, both said the crew takes great care in making sure everything looks and feels authentic.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Aries March 21 – April 19 Your work — professional or personal — may ask a little more of you today.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Apr. 2026
-
March 21 – April 19 Your work — professional or personal — may ask a little more of you today.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Reasons to Grow Moss in Your Garden Some gardeners consider moss a nuisance to be eradicated from their yards.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Two days later, legislators took up the Public Nuisance Reform Act, which proposes narrowing the definition of what could be considered a nuisance.—
Abrahm Lustgarten,
ProPublica,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But as long as nobody gets hurt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
That's not to say this defeat to a major play-off rival didn't hurt.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At a recent sleepover, my 15-year-old son and his 14-year-old friend Charlie, driven by a pang of nostalgia, chose to watch the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on YouTube.—
Luba Kassova,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
What Brooks proffers is not the philosophy these queries require but a kind of pharmacology—a pill designed to alleviate every last pang.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The agony of America’s post-1945 wars has been their gradual inducement of a sense of futility.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
-
As young fans gripped their face in agony, the older faces held their palms up in knowing shrugs.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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