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
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 June 2026
His pain turns to hatred, and with that, an intense urge for revenge.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 June 2026
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
Noun
Reduce Latency Anyone who has watched a big soccer match in a large office setting knows the pain of TVs not being in sync.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 12 June 2026
His pain turns to hatred, and with that, an intense urge for revenge.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 12 June 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
Noun
-
Infected people will typically experience fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue one to two weeks after having been bitten.—
Fiona Bork,
NBC news,
14 Aug. 2025
-
This lavender version relieves muscle tension, soothes aches and softens skin while relaxing your mind in fragrant floral steam.—
Jené Luciani Sena , Caitlyn Martyn
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There was a stretch when people in various states of mental distress would just come and fall apart at our kitchen table.—
Stuart Miller,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
-
The Iskanders sued Grossman and Erickson, and last week a jury found the pair liable in the boys’ deaths, awarding $176 million in damages to parents Nancy and Karim Iskander and younger son Zachary for wrongful death and emotional distress.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
He was evacuated to a hospital in Berlin to receive care on May 20 and was discharged on June 6, according to Serge.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
-
As prostate cancer care becomes more personalized, additional testing may help guide treatment decisions.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
In his attempt to assure us that Shakespeare’s play resonates within our contemporary hellscape of division and deportation, Ali has poured more of his energy into easy images than into the much harder work of breathing new, heartbreaking life into old poetry.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
12 June 2026
-
Searching for a way to distract herself, Parker returned to work just weeks after the shooting.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Nico Gonzalez is an accomplished ball-carrier who can bulldoze through any structural weakness in that area, Tijjani Reijnders is a nuisance to track with his late runs from deep, and Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki thrive in those small spaces between the lines.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
10 Dec. 2025
-
While those invaders are mainly nuisances, cockroaches are a different story.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Over the years, Kingsley has expressed hurt over how his own mother, actor Anna Lyna Mary Goodman, never acknowledged his acting talent or childhood achievements.—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
-
There was just so much anger, so much hurt, so much pain from both ends.—
Sarah Sotoodeh , Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Songwriters expressing pangs of grief for what once was held court with others fretting about undesirable futures and still others dreaming up cooler tomorrows.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
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At the same time, many of our neighbors have lost jobs to corporate layoffs, government cutbacks and simple chance, and suddenly feel the pangs of hunger in this land of plenty.—
Cardinal Blase Cupich,
Mercury News,
27 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Elsha Rivera Missing persons is another type of case that causes agony for family members.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Dec. 2025
-
The skin infection was unheard of at the time, according to the outlet, who also reported that the king was in agony for two weeks before his death.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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