Synonyms of pains

pains 1 of 2

noun

plural of pain

1

as in attention

strict attentiveness to what one is doing

asked the movers to take pains to be sure that they didn't damage anything while moving the furniture

Synonyms & Similar Words

• attention
• care
• carefulness
• scrupulousness
• heed
• effort
• meticulousness
• precision
• conscientiousness
• concentration
• meticulosity
• closeness
• observation
• focus
• responsibility
• heedfulness
• vigilance
• watchfulness
• trouble
• mindfulness
• alertness
• observance
• painstaking
• punctiliousness
• exactness
• bother
• advertency
• advertence
• particularity
• irreproachability
• irreproachableness
• dutifulness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• negligence
• inattentiveness
• heedlessness
• inattention
• inadvertency
• inadvertence
• inobservance

2

as in effort

the active use of energy in producing a result

she was at pains to reassure us that everything would be fine

Synonyms & Similar Words

• effort
• work
• sweat
• exertion
• trouble
• labor
• expenditure
• energy
• while
• toil
• drudgery
• strain
• elbow grease
• power
• muscle
• try
• travail
• might
• dint
• attempt
• endeavor
• slog
• stab
• grind
• trial
• essay
• go
• pass
• force
• puissance
• shot
• whack
• fling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ease
• facility
• smoothness
• fluency
• inertia
• inactivity
• inaction
• laziness
• indolence
• idleness
• adroitness
• dormancy
• quiescence
• languor

pains

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of pain

as in aches

to feel or cause physical pain

my poor head was paining so from all that racket

Synonyms & Similar Words

• aches
• hurts
• throbs
• tingles
• smarts
• swells
• cramps
• stings
• itches
• bites
• bleeds
• torments
• nags
• racks
• twinges
• burns
• tortures
• chafes
• suffers
• pinches
• pounds
• anguishes
• festers
• agonizes
• afflicts
• harrows

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pains

Noun

The couple took pains to preserve historical details like the house's original wooden shutters. — Sophie Caldwell,valentina Duarte, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Nearly every single recipe from the Fizz’s golden age takes pains to specify that it should be made very cold, served without ice, and consumed immediately after delivery, an instruction that may seem pedantic but is nonetheless ubiquitous. — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026

In the past, Fox News has taken pains to illustrate to its viewers how the election could tilt blue. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Symptoms usually begin within two weeks and can last nearly three weeks, including aches and pains, nausea and rashes. — Angie Dimichele, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Imagine a patient entering a hospital with severe headaches and chest pains. — Esha Desai, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

After all, as Steinbeck’s novels are pains to remind us, appearances are poor evidence of character anyway. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026

Some people spend hundreds on first-class upgrades to feel better, but a pair of lightweight compression socks can prevent a lot of the pains that come with long travel days—even if you’re stuck in economy. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026

The new Brad Pitt vehicle, directed by David Ayer, takes pains to start with a scene that exists only to make this clear. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026

Verb

This one pains me as a Roth-era Van Halen fan, but there is no denying the band found incredible radio success with new frontman Sammy Hagar in the fold. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026

His disaffection baffles his acquaintances and pains his tubercular wife (a superb Quinn Jackson), whose doctor (Lambert Tamin) has only contempt for her husband’s agonizing. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026

But regret pains them like a knot in their shoulders. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025