1
as in sore
causing or feeling bodily pain
a very painful toothache her broken arm was too painful for her to go on the trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harsh
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
it's been very painful to accept that my father is gone forever
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of painful
Did Meta lose some lawsuits involving some painful addictions to its product?
—
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Drink with a straw to bypass painful mouth sores.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Up the road in Milwaukee, the White Sox open their 126th American League season Thursday under the Brewers’ retractable dome, with lower expectations than their North Side peers but growing confidence that their painful rebuild finally has turned the corner.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Instead, victims must endure symptom treatment and painful recovery.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
Drink with a straw to bypass painful mouth sores.
—CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026
Up the road in Milwaukee, the White Sox open their 126th American League season Thursday under the Brewers’ retractable dome, with lower expectations than their North Side peers but growing confidence that their painful rebuild finally has turned the corner.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
Instead, victims must endure symptom treatment and painful recovery.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
-
Key backup Ayo Dosunmu was out, too, with a sore calf.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
As of late, Steph Curry’s sore knee has been a constant source of discussion around the team.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Unkind words and thoughts from your harshest critic (yourself) are all too common, especially for women, and their effects can diminish mood, confidence and self-esteem while positive ones can have the opposite impact.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
26 Mar. 2026
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Those forces may give the president more leverage in his negotiations, but also risk fueling Tehran's resentment and provoking a harsher response, analysts say.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The dramatic and aching second movement, according to Egarr, may have been a love letter to one of Beethoven’s romantic interests.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
21 Feb. 2026
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And no matter what the ultimate tally, every individual is an aching, terrible loss.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Some countries have laws administering what critics believe are cruel punishments or place undue restrictions on women and minorities.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
-
While Tony coddles his own bruised ego, there is clearly a greater reason for the cruel hijinks, which comes in the form of some significant cash.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
While folks all across the nation are grappling with torturous TSA lines, Joe Jonas actually had fun at the airport on Saturday.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
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The verified account, @realanndowd (not to be confused with Bald Ann Dowd), made its first post on March 18 — finally ending the torturous 5,642-day dry spell of there being no Ann Dowd on the app.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sometimes the journey to diagnosis is so emotionally excruciating that people call off the effort for a long period of time or even altogether.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Enter World Cup Camp, a place where aging super fans can step into the lives of a professional footballer without the excruciating, chronic pain (more or less).—
Rebecca Leib,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In an agonizing twist, just as the show had gotten underway, Eden received word she had been accepted by a professional ballet company.—
Scot Paltrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Either way, at least the agonizing holding pattern would be over.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Prices run from €16 for a burrata cheese and tomato bruschetta to €25 for foie gras with bitter marmalade.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Schottenheimer’s latest comments inject optimism and a sense of patience from the Cowboys’ sideline, pushing back against speculation of a bitter standoff or imminent trade.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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