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painful

adjective

ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
Definition of painfulnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of painful The result is a boisterous, exhausting drama that struggles to balance trauma, satire and the painful legacy of Black sitcom fame. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 Brokering these truces will require painful concessions from both Washington and Riyadh. — Richard Haass, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026 The right-hander slipped while warming up on the mound in his last start, and didn’t need immediate attention, but his knee swelled up and became painful. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026 Woman after woman told USA TODAY that physicians never talked to their mothers who had become seriously ill or died about vaginal estrogen, something that would have alleviated their painful UTIs – and ultimately prevented them in the first place. — Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
  1. sore
  2. harsh
  3. aching
  4. cruel
  5. torturous
  6. excruciating
  7. agonizing
  8. bitter
Adjective
  • In addition to Freeman, who has been hobbled all month by a sore right knee, the Dodgers are rushing to get designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, starting pitcher Blake Snell and closer Edwin Díaz healthy.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The azaleas growing by the new hospital’s gates are in full bloom, a bright pink that makes my eyes sore.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of sore
Adjective
  • This has been complicated further by the Iran war energy shock which is a harsh wake-up call for Southeast Asia.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Even when used on its own, bleach is incredibly harsh and can strip your floors’ finish, leaving it vulnerable to damage, discoloration, and dullness over time.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • The homestretch of the drama, however, takes the story in a chilling direction, packing an aching quantity of feeling into a single glance at a security camera as someone climbs into a car and leaves the compound, never to be heard from again.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
  • Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of aching
Adjective
  • In the book, MacLachlan recalls being utterly dumbfounded at having been asked to do something so oblivious at best and cruel at worst.
    — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Many of them, including Ned and his childhood friend and rival, Roland, are scarred by their time as youth players, haunted by memories of the sadistic coaches and cruel, competitive fathers who terrorized them both on and off the court.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • In a wartorn country where air travel is too perilous to even consider, the roads are the obvious option, but are jammed, precarious, and cursed with long, torturous border queues.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Legal experts say those costs reflect the challenges that corrections officials face in finding help with carrying out lethal injections, which can subject prisoners to torturous levels of pain.
    — Max Blau, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of torturous
Adjective
  • The timeline in the report of one woman enduring Maduko’s behavior is excruciating to read.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Part sometimes excruciating dark comedy, part sci-fi mindwarp and part suspense thriller whose grip bids fair to surprise at San Sebastián.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of excruciating
Adjective
  • Of course, Kiffin left, a bitter and acrimonious separation that played out over 14 agonizing days, just as the Rebels prepped for their first College Football Playoff game in history.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The brazen and agonizing theft of 88 million euros ($102 million) worth of crown jewels from display cases in the Louvre's Apollo gallery served as a wake-up call.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of agonizing
Adjective
  • The months-long battle was bitter and hard fought and enmity within the industry has yet to subside.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The game faced bitter opposition in Ireland over Israel’s actions in Gaza with the players coming under huge pressure to boycott two matches against Israel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of bitter

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pained
painful
painfully
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Cite this Entry

“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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