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
Like when many thought that the pandemic recession would be long and painful.
—
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
Jackson, dealing with a painful back contusion, passed for 238 yards and three scores, including a pair to Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Jan. 2026
The Chiefs’ defense, as has been the case through these final painful weeks of the 2025 season, did enough to win the game.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
But Dailyn Swain, who had a career game with 34 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out late against Mississippi State, cautioned against clinging to the defeat, no matter how painful.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
Jackson, dealing with a painful back contusion, passed for 238 yards and three scores, including a pair to Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Jan. 2026
The Chiefs’ defense, as has been the case through these final painful weeks of the 2025 season, did enough to win the game.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
But Dailyn Swain, who had a career game with 34 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out late against Mississippi State, cautioned against clinging to the defeat, no matter how painful.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
-
Persistent increases in utility rates have become a sore point for customers across California.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Getting flip-flops with thick, padded soles will ensure that your ankles, toes and heels don’t feel sore after a long day.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Cisco positions the same rugged networking technology used in Parkie for other harsh environments, including factories, logistics hubs, and outdoor industrial sites.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Fabrics that aren't made for harsh weather conditions, especially cotton and linen, are prone to absorbing moisture, causing mold, mildew, and water stains.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In this aching, unorthodox historical drama, Davies tells the story of the pacifist poet and veteran Siegfried Sassoon, whose experiences fighting in the First World War forever transformed him.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Braxton shares an aching need to be vulnerable only to realize by album’s end that such unions can result in horrible betrayal, her words of lament surrounded by swelling, lush orchestration.—
Clarence A. Haynes
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
The forest had taught him that city dwellers could often be regulated by cruel and rather unpredictable codes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That Maduro is a cruel dictator is clear; that Trump intends more than just his arrest (such as taking their oil) is equally clear.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
September 22 Lucas Museum opens After a long, semi-torturous process, George Lucas’s grand vision for a public museum containing an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, and film memorabilia will finally come to fruition.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
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During this increasingly torturous adjustment period, Millie learns Nina spent some time in a psychiatric facility years earlier after allegedly leaving Cece to drown in a bathtub and taking enough pills to kill herself.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
After another excruciating win in Las Vegas in early December, Payton found Nix and changed his answer.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Scenes like that — which require actors to simulate abandon while a full crew looks on — can be excruciating to film.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The femur is the human body’s longest, strongest bone, and among the most agonizing to break.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
After lifting the trophy in Russia eight years ago, painful memories of an agonizing loss to Argentina in Qatar remain.—
Amanda Davies,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Pair it with a small, dessert-sized Greek coffee, which isn’t as bitter as espresso, for a perfect treat yourself moment under $10.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
That includes losing to their bitter rivals with the biggest playoff collapse in franchise history.—
Michael Cunningham,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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