Synonyms of painfully

painfully

adverb

as in bitterly

with feelings of bitterness or grief

painfully she recounted the difficult relationship she had with her mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bitterly
• sadly
• sorrowfully
• hard
• mournfully
• agonizingly
• sharply
• woefully
• harshly
• unhappily
• grievously
• regretfully
• wretchedly
• lugubriously
• ruefully
• dolorously
• resentfully
• severely
• dolefully
• sorely
• inconsolably
• plaintively
• wailfully
• hardly
• distressingly
• miserably
• abjectly
• despairingly
• dismally
• cheerlessly
• drearily
• acutely
• dispiritedly
• dejectedly
• distressfully
• darkly
• poignantly
• somberly
• joylessly
• disconsolately
• despondently
• cruelly
• forlornly
• glumly
• morosely
• sullenly
• blackly
• keenly
• pessimistically
• piercingly
• dourly
• gloomily
• mirthlessly
• hurtfully
• downheartedly
• ill
• crestfallenly
• low-spiritedly
• rancorously

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blissfully
• happily
• joyfully
• joyously
• gladly
• cheerfully
• gleefully
• easily
• merrily
• delightedly
• cheerily
• lightly
• lightheartedly
• casually
• calmly
• gaily
• stoically
• blithely
• indifferently
• dispassionately
• nonchalantly
• unconcernedly
• impassively
• well
• sunnily
• mirthfully
• favorably
• good-naturedly
• rejoicingly
• blithesomely

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of painfully

History shows that trade imbalances of this scale almost always end painfully—and that the pain of the adjustment is not distributed evenly. — Michael Pettis, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026

No Me Arrepiento is more defined by a slow burn of emotions, beautifully and painfully put into words. — Leila Cobo, Billboard, 28 Aug. 2026

Now, a patent Meta filed in February and was granted last week suggests that the company is painfully aware of the privacy nightmare of its own creation. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026

That might seem painfully obvious, but, for at least the next decade, there will be enough resistance to a total robot takeover to delay the clanker revolution. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2026

Argentina’s race for a second consecutive World Cup title ended painfully this summer, with Spain beating Lionel Messi and the defending champions 1-0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium. — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

Bethany, whose interactions with Anna thus far have been painfully awkward and obliviously rude, decides to confide in the ranger. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Such a move would mark a significant expansion of Moscow and Pyongyang’s military cooperation and comes as Ukraine is running painfully short of air defenses. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Unintentionally, and no doubt painfully, the British royal family has, in modern times, increasingly become a high-profile mirror of its subjects. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026