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
The irony was painful in that, seemingly overnight, the very things that most enlivened and sustained me—reading, watching movies, seeing friends, making love, sitting quietly by myself—were crowded out by a child whose needs absorbed nearly all of my energy and time.
—
Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
In a series of original stories and photographs from the time, the Miami Herald captured that ongoing, and often painful, change.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Jake Walman scored two goals, Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists, and Ty Emberson, Vasily Podkolzin and Andrew Mangiapane also scored in Edmonton's impressive rebound from a painful loss in Anaheim.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
That makes her giddy celebration with Rob in the kitchen afterward particularly painful to watch.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Daniel Smith, The Atlantic, 27 Feb. 2026
In a series of original stories and photographs from the time, the Miami Herald captured that ongoing, and often painful, change.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Jake Walman scored two goals, Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists, and Ty Emberson, Vasily Podkolzin and Andrew Mangiapane also scored in Edmonton's impressive rebound from a painful loss in Anaheim.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
That makes her giddy celebration with Rob in the kitchen afterward particularly painful to watch.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
-
Green had missed Sunday’s game with a sore back, and after an uber-physical matchup against DeAndre Jordan, Derik Queen and the bulky Pelicans on Tuesday, the coaching staff decided to play it safe.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Unlock The Mystery Surrounding A Lone Mailbox Sticking out like a sore thumb along gently swaying sea oats and majestic sand dunes, the Wrightsville Beach Mailbox is a legendary character in this part of North Carolina.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The scene, however, of Myers skating around for warmups and enjoying some time with his family underscored the harsh realities of trade deadline season for the players — and the families — directly involved.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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While many ground covers are resilient and can thrive in harsh growing conditions, such as areas with full sun and dry soil, environments that are overly damp and soggy can be tricky for certain ground covers.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And no matter what the ultimate tally, every individual is an aching, terrible loss.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The performance — nuanced, aching and full of soul — has re-energized her place in the industry, and as Oscar season builds momentum, Hudson finds herself back in the Oscar conversation.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
21 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Indeed, the covert interventions so central to the Cold War, which these men embodied, relied on some of the cruelest instruments in the tool kit of modern statecraft—assassination, coup d’état, mass murder, psychological manipulation, surrogate warfare, torture, and terror.—
Alfred McCoy,
Literary Hub,
26 Feb. 2026
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In what has to be the cruelest Survivor fate ever, Francesca came back to avenge being voted out first… and was then promptly voted out first again!—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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After a torturous 2025 season that featured one of the worst team pitching performances in major league history, the pitching think tank was overhauled.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
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Every year many Christians are arrested and imprisoned under torturous conditions for practicing their right to religious freedom, where a simple act like praying together in house-churches seems like an act of civil disobedience.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
There was, unsurprisingly, a great deal of Trump-bashing and much talk of affordability, or rather, the excruciating lack of it in this priciest of states.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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There was, unsurprisingly, a great deal of Trump-bashing and much talk of affordability, or rather, the excruciating lack of it in this priciest of states.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When that might happen is highly uncertain, and completely up to Guthrie, given this month’s agonizing and all-consuming search for her mother Nancy.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
27 Feb. 2026
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Like many founders before me, the decision was agonizing.—
David Yi,
Allure,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
During that window, sour and bitter foods can taste sweet, making meals more tolerable.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
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The concept was revived by Olympic officials and the United Nations in the early 1990s, as bitter conflicts raged in the Balkans.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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