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

When Jane Fonda hit the Oscars stage with a silver pixie cut in 2020, jaws dropped, heads turned and every woman painfully growing out their grays had instant hair envy. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026

On Standby follows Sagit, a 33-year-old airport security screener whose brutally honest view of the world and chaotic personal life turn even the most ordinary interactions into painfully funny disasters. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Using the color barrier in American baseball as a narrative bridge to the challenges facing a fictional English women's soccer team felt painfully forced and over-the-top. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

And they still got burned in ways that Dodger fans will find painfully familiar. — Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

While inflation continues to be painfully high, Friday's data came in close to what economists expected and traders were prepared for. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026

Either Florida State is painfully slow or the Mustangs are bursting with speed. — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

There are good ideas in Bunker, but Zeller’s drama veers between the painfully obvious and the annoyingly manufactured. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Sweltering heat, sporadic rain and a painfully slow-moving line didn’t stop hundreds of people from gathering outside DaBaby’s new Charlotte restaurant, No Knife Chicken & Waffles, ahead of its grand opening. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2026