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
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
-
He eventually was contacted by a Korean company to audition for them, but sadly, didn’t make it.—
Laura Sirikul,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
This is, sadly, a lost art; now everything is an elaborate ballet of calling, texting, and planning, with little room for spontaneity.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The bristles are neither too floppy nor too stiff, neither too long nor too short, and are cut to the perfect rounded shape that’s just right for swirling pigment over the apples or spreading it along your cheekbones—without having to work too hard for a completely natural finish.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Eagles went chasing on a third-and-8 situation at the Chiefs’ 33 at the start of the third quarter, and Smith went down hard after a deep pass from Hurts fell incomplete along the left sideline.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Painfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painfully. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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