as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief
painfully she recounted the difficult relationship she had with her mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 painfully
There is a painfully revealing example in Emma where Miss Bates is telling Emma about Jane Fairfax’s prospects as a governess to the Sucklings’ friends the Smallridges.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
My day in court is painfully overdue.
—Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Which means Republicans are now painfully divided over what to do next.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Much of the footage was silent, though there was corresponding audio, which needed to be painfully synced up, a process that took two years.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
The virus claimed the lives of friends and congregants — and, most painfully, his twin sister.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
Ingelsby preserves the thrills of a relentless investigation while foregrounding his ensemble’s relatable — often painfully so — experiences with guilt and forgiveness.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
Noah Baumbach’s painfully incisive portrait of a family divorce among a remarkably prickly family of Brooklyn intellectuals finds so many ways to showcase its characters’ most brittle sides.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
There was a recognition Amorim’s predecessors had assembled a painfully lopsided squad, while the club had lacked a football structure since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
My day in court is painfully overdue.
—Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Which means Republicans are now painfully divided over what to do next.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Much of the footage was silent, though there was corresponding audio, which needed to be painfully synced up, a process that took two years.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
The virus claimed the lives of friends and congregants — and, most painfully, his twin sister.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 6 Sep. 2025
Ingelsby preserves the thrills of a relentless investigation while foregrounding his ensemble’s relatable — often painfully so — experiences with guilt and forgiveness.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
Noah Baumbach’s painfully incisive portrait of a family divorce among a remarkably prickly family of Brooklyn intellectuals finds so many ways to showcase its characters’ most brittle sides.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
There was a recognition Amorim’s predecessors had assembled a painfully lopsided squad, while the club had lacked a football structure since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in May 2013.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painfully
Adverb
-
Tom’s final epiphany related to his estranged son isn’t earned, but not because of Ruffalo; his performance cuts a fine line between bitterly self-destructive and warmly spiritual.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
San Francisco officials fought bitterly against Waymo and now-defunct Cruise robotaxis from General Motors, after their vehicles repeatedly blocked traffic and emergency vehicles, with Cruise the main perpetrator.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
But sadly, the no-muss, no-fuss era of a single must-have national rail pass is over.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
-
But sadly, after many rescue attempts, BSC closed for good in 2024, unable to overcome the financial issues that had plagued the school for decades.—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
That looks like a different Caleb Williams to me, so Ben Johnson's coached him hard this offseason.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The mixer's bowl boasts a distinctive walnut shade and wood grain pattern, and its food-safe seal means the bowl works hard (and looks good doing it).—
Ella Field,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Painfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painfully. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share