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
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Recent Examples of pain
Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, dizziness, unexplained sweatiness and jaw pain, Horwich said.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
When the body feels stress, your heart rate and blood pressure jump, stress chemicals rise, and the brain may turn pain down for a moment.
—Dayanne S. Antonio, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
Stocks are r ebounding Friday and trying to find a floor after a terrible week, helped by the usual technology leaders, but Wall Street pros are bracing for even more pain ahead just in case the recovery fails to hold.
—Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, dizziness, unexplained sweatiness and jaw pain, Horwich said.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
All reporting around the deal indicated that Dončić never planned to leave Dallas, and his emotional return to Texas in April indicated that the pain of the surprise move still pained him.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
When the body feels stress, your heart rate and blood pressure jump, stress chemicals rise, and the brain may turn pain down for a moment.
—Dayanne S. Antonio, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
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Literally — rise up by elevating yourself in bed, courtesy of Coop Sleep Goods’ Adjustable Wedge Pillow, which can unblock breathing, alleviate everything from acid reflux to back aches, and, when propped under your legs, do wonders in the swelling department.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
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Some signs of withdrawal from kratom might include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle/joint aches, restlessness, runny nose, excessive yawning, and hot or cold flashes.—
Gary Kirkilas II,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For times of extreme distress, Beltzer suggests a practice called ice diving.—
Stefanie Groner,
Glamour,
4 Feb. 2026
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The deep distress our family feels because of Nay's loss is in such a violent and unnecessary way is complicated by feelings of disbelief, distress and desperation for change.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The PhD student, originally from Turkey and on a valid F-1 student visa, was shuttled through multiple states following her arrest and suffered a series of asthma attacks without adequate medical care, according to her attorneys.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Natural Grocers specializes in organic produce, dietary supplements and body care products.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This work offers a new platform for designing efficient photo-electrocatalysts and advancing next-generation solar–electrochemical energy conversion systems.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The opening night celebration in September features violinist Joshua Bell, after which Shelley will guide the season through a series of classic works, beginning with Mahler’s Second Symphony.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jody Allen should not appear on a list of the NFL’s biggest nuisances.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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The agent’s ability to boost productivity is obvious as users offload tedious nuisances to Moltbot, helping to realize the dream of AI evangelists.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Investors don’t want to inadvertently cheer on weakening job growth that could negatively impact consumer spending and economic growth, hurting stock prices.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Miami’s 39 sacks ranked 16th in the league, and the Dolphins were badly hurt by their inability to turn several pressures into sacks.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The album’s Bandcamp blurb shouts out Ghédalia Tarzatès, the late French composer who collaged his wails and lamentations in the endangered Ladino language to evoke pangs of existential angst.—
H.D. Angel,
Pitchfork,
6 Feb. 2026
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Everyone’s blood sugar levels sporadically spike, and that’s normal, but keeping it steady helps prevent energy crashes, hunger pangs, and mood swings, Dardarian says.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The agony of not knowing what would happen to his wife and only child overwhelmed Luis, Xiong said.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Well, there was a great deal left in me, in an agony of embarrassment looking around for that hole on the floor to crawl into.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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