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
Many centrists are seeking a way out of the increasingly painful five-week shutdown even as progressives urge the party to stick to its position of fighting for health care.
—
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The lashing out has been painful.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Buffalo presented the Chiefs with a blitz-adverse and coverage-heavy game plan, sending just four rushers at the quarterback, yet still delivered Patrick Mahomes one of the most painful losses of his career.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
The virus targets the mammary gland's milk-secreting epithelial cells, causing painful infections in the udder.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for painful
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2025
The lashing out has been painful.
—Lauren Giella, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Buffalo presented the Chiefs with a blitz-adverse and coverage-heavy game plan, sending just four rushers at the quarterback, yet still delivered Patrick Mahomes one of the most painful losses of his career.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2025
The virus targets the mammary gland's milk-secreting epithelial cells, causing painful infections in the udder.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
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As someone who frequently wakes up stiff and sore, contributor Sydney Gore has tried a lot of pillows.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
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Two sore spots in Apple’s lates financials were in iPad sales and its wearables division, consisting of devices such as AirPods and the Apple Watch.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There's a lot of harsh words and harsh things that get said about people.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Applying it at the base of the plant before the first frost can protect the roots from harsh cold and keep the soil from freezing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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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
-
That is unacceptably cruel, corrupt, and undemocratic.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Instead, she was stripped of her bronze medal after a late score inquiry—a ruling that still feels cruel for an athlete who had delivered the performance of her life.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Waiting for news was torturous.—
Grace White,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
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Hiking through the deep snow drifts above 26,000 feet is torturous and time consuming.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The voicemail then abruptly turned violent, with McKnight wishing Sheehy an excruciating death.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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Longing for my kids to arrive felt excruciating.—
Isobella Jade,
Parents,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
On Friday, a big defensive play by Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Kiké Hernández and an agonizing baserunning mistake by Toronto’s Addison Barger ended the game, setting up a winner-takes-all Game 7 on Saturday.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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For Morris, the hours after landfall were agonizing.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That clash of emotions — celebration of a dream season and commiseration over its bitter conclusion — sat on the central clubhouse table.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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To come to its conclusion, the team had 48 participants sample an array of tomato juices with different flavor profiles, including sweet, salty, and bitter options.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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