1
as in sore
causing or feeling bodily pain
a very painful toothache her broken arm was too painful for her to go on the trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harsh
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
it's been very painful to accept that my father is gone forever
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of painful
Like when many thought that the pandemic recession would be long and painful.
—
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
Jackson, dealing with a painful back contusion, passed for 238 yards and three scores, including a pair to Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Jan. 2026
The Chiefs’ defense, as has been the case through these final painful weeks of the 2025 season, did enough to win the game.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
But Dailyn Swain, who had a career game with 34 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out late against Mississippi State, cautioned against clinging to the defeat, no matter how painful.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 6 Jan. 2026
Jackson, dealing with a painful back contusion, passed for 238 yards and three scores, including a pair to Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter.
—Arkansas Online, 5 Jan. 2026
The Chiefs’ defense, as has been the case through these final painful weeks of the 2025 season, did enough to win the game.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
But Dailyn Swain, who had a career game with 34 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out late against Mississippi State, cautioned against clinging to the defeat, no matter how painful.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
-
The Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year potentially has the tools to revitalize UCLA’s pass rush and turn a sore spot into a glimmer of hope in the Big Ten.—
Benjamin Royer,
Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Don’t layer them, which can leave your skin sore, sensitive, and dry.—
Jacqueline Kilikita,
Refinery29,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Two-thirds of the population are living in tents, struggling to survive an extremely harsh winter.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The cold temperatures will create some harsh driving conditions, especially when combined with snow.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In this aching, unorthodox historical drama, Davies tells the story of the pacifist poet and veteran Siegfried Sassoon, whose experiences fighting in the First World War forever transformed him.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
5 Aug. 2025
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Braxton shares an aching need to be vulnerable only to realize by album’s end that such unions can result in horrible betrayal, her words of lament surrounded by swelling, lush orchestration.—
Clarence A. Haynes
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Moon is at odds with three planets, which can trigger arguments, snide remarks and even cruel retorts.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
-
An old 4chan meme designed as a cruel caricature has somehow become the face of clueless commentators asking for context.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
September 22 Lucas Museum opens After a long, semi-torturous process, George Lucas’s grand vision for a public museum containing an impressive collection of paintings, drawings, and film memorabilia will finally come to fruition.—
Hillary Busis,
Vanity Fair,
22 Dec. 2025
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During this increasingly torturous adjustment period, Millie learns Nina spent some time in a psychiatric facility years earlier after allegedly leaving Cece to drown in a bathtub and taking enough pills to kill herself.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
For his family, the wait for justice has been excruciating.—
Larry Seward,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
There’s a common misconception that auteur filmmakers like Anderson have every detail of their films planned out ahead of time in excruciating detail.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His family spent an agonizing week searching through morgues, hospitals and detention facilities before finally identifying his body among piles of corpses, also shown in the viral footage.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Her family would later make the agonizing decision to take her off life support.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a fairly faithful rendition of the original, with bushy broccoli rabe as the bitter green of choice.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
After their murders, their families sat in the bitter cold and grieved, waiting for the prime minister, Imran Khan, to come and mourn with them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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