as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
painfully she recounted the difficult relationship she had with her mother
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Recent Examples of painfully
Jude was painfully conscious of the despoiling of his creative talents.
—
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As a bare stage swiftly gets dressed in black curtains framing its sides, rumblings fester in the dance ensemble’s torsos and limbs; Danker’s music becomes increasingly driving, propulsive (and painfully loud—an issue that persists through most of the evening).
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
The film begins with a painfully awkward recreation of a Q&A after a block of shorts at a small film festival.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Arsenal will be painfully aware that no Premier League side can be underestimated, having thrown away a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at bottom club Wolves in February.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Underinvestment during peacetime becomes painfully visible during crises.
—Guy Vernet, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026
Japan Aside from victories at The Sentry and the Hero World Challenge in 2025 and a painfully close playoff loss at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, Matsuyama has struggled to climb the leaderboard over the past two seasons.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Reaching for Miranda's hand, Greta is painfully aware of how unmanicured and rough her nails are.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
His answer is almost painfully endearing.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As a bare stage swiftly gets dressed in black curtains framing its sides, rumblings fester in the dance ensemble’s torsos and limbs; Danker’s music becomes increasingly driving, propulsive (and painfully loud—an issue that persists through most of the evening).
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
The film begins with a painfully awkward recreation of a Q&A after a block of shorts at a small film festival.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2026
Arsenal will be painfully aware that no Premier League side can be underestimated, having thrown away a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at bottom club Wolves in February.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Underinvestment during peacetime becomes painfully visible during crises.
—Guy Vernet, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026
Japan Aside from victories at The Sentry and the Hero World Challenge in 2025 and a painfully close playoff loss at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in February, Matsuyama has struggled to climb the leaderboard over the past two seasons.
—Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Reaching for Miranda's hand, Greta is painfully aware of how unmanicured and rough her nails are.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
His answer is almost painfully endearing.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painfully
Adverb
-
Mary leaves four children, ages 10 to 17 — and relatives feuding so bitterly that the two families had to go to court to decide where Mary would be laid to rest and two separate memorial services were held.—
Jill Smolowe,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The strike was fought bitterly on both sides.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
At 49, the Dorchester, Massachusetts, native has joined the pantheon of celebrity investigative journalists, a sadly dwindling group.—
Julian Sancton,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But, sadly, Olivia didn't qualify.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.—
Madhuri Vijay,
New Yorker,
16 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
For Rory McIlroy, the trek toward getting a second Masters championship got a little bit harder.—
Rod Beard,
AJC.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Some hurts Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen never returned because of a lower-body injury after being knocked hard into the boards by Hartman late in the first period.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
For their part, Democratic leaders spoke mournfully of limits, of energy shortages, of national decline, of a crisis of confidence itself.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Based on the Dylan Thomas prose poem of the same name, published in 1952, the film lovingly and mournfully depicts the boyhood Christmastime of an old Welshman, tenderly and a tad mischievously embodied by Elliott.—
Sheldon Pearce,
New Yorker,
21 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Painfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painfully. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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