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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of painful
Moncler's stock, which had traded buoyantly, reversed and gradually ended March with a painful 14.4% decline.
—
Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 3 June 2025
Photographer Ophélie Loubat tells the story of a woman who decides to have a baby alone, without a father, after years of medical struggles and painful relationships.
—The Dial, 3 June 2025
Next came the most painful part of the experience: the injectable anesthetics.
—Marie Lodi, Allure, 1 June 2025
This transition made this (retirement) a little less painful, more gradual.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for painful
Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 3 June 2025
Photographer Ophélie Loubat tells the story of a woman who decides to have a baby alone, without a father, after years of medical struggles and painful relationships.
—The Dial, 3 June 2025
Next came the most painful part of the experience: the injectable anesthetics.
—Marie Lodi, Allure, 1 June 2025
This transition made this (retirement) a little less painful, more gradual.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 31 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
-
Are sore, achy feet keeping you from putting your best foot forward?—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
7 June 2025
-
Meyers insisted that this was the only sore subject between the two comedians.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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From growing up in the streets of Kansas City to serving jail time, Gilliam shared how rapping about his harsh experiences has made fans love him.—
Ramal Nasim,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
-
Kilar’s bold moves and harsh comeuppance beg the question: In an age of uncertainty, should Hollywood look to innovative but potentially disruptive outsiders or elevate from within?—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Somebody Somewhere is tiny: a gorgeous, introspective, intimate story about a woman with devastatingly mundane problems whose chief obstacle is her own aching sense of grief and dislocation.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2024
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In this novel about the shape-shifting nature of love, Parsons captures Kit’s grief in aching and honest terms.—
Annabel Gutterman,
TIME,
6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
And for every San Antonio, there is a Utah or Washington or Charlotte that can’t believe how cruel the lottery can be.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
-
This is cruel, unnecessary, and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Included in that torturous run was a 24-game losing streak.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
1 June 2025
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Jenkins wants to retire to focus on her health, leaving a legacy of having led her community through a torturous time.—
Curtis Bunn,
NBC news,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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Anderson won his first of his record 23 races in 2005 and broke his ankle in the celebrations, but the excruciating pain and eight weeks in a cast didn’t put him off.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
25 May 2025
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This became even more imposing when, toward the end of Game Four—another one that the Knicks seemed poised to win—the Celtics star Jayson Tatum suffered an excruciating injury to his Achilles tendon and crumpled onto the hardwood, howling in pain.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
An agonizing and eventful 42 minutes later, elation erupted throughout the century-old ballpark as rookie catcher Carlos Narváez clocked a single off the wall for a 2-1 walk-off win for the Red Sox in the 10th inning.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
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An alligator that narrowly escaped poachers in Florida was left in an agonizing predicament when a cord cinched to its head began slicing off its nose, a YouTube video shows.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Like every other entrepreneur, Ian had to face bitter betrayal from people who once believed in his vision.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
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Right after that, Kansas will face bitter rival Missouri at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Dec. 7.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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