PAINSTAKINGLY Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

painstakingly

adverb

as in meticulously

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of painstakingly For the next few minutes, Alex Lifeson stood beside me, and painstakingly showed me how to play that riff. — Kevin Griffin, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026 What skills, painstakingly developed over decades, could quietly begin to atrophy? — Maria Colacurcio, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026 Needs to be replaced with the full head, painstakingly washed. — Corinne Low, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 Some of the most striking features at Château de Cîteaux are the paintings and frescoes painstakingly restored by conservator Alice Gardien in the hotel’s restaurant. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2026 And helping those with low-level crimes and non-convictions on their records used to be a painstakingly slow and expensive process. — August 3, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 What’s less obvious, though, is the arch-support insole in each pair, which has been painstakingly developed to keep your foot supported and pain-free, even after long stretches on your feet. — Alison Syrett Cleary, InStyle, 1 Aug. 2026 The Scottish and American teams piece together their theory painstakingly over time, poring over clues as small as a torn clothing label and negotiating every single disclosure with their counterparts across borders. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 This painstakingly restored 4K version looks and sounds gorgeous; cinematographer Dante Spinotti’s work glows with saturated vibrancy, and Michel Rubini and the Reds’ score vibrates on a spooky synth frequency. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for painstakingly

Adverb

Adapted from Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures stars Field as Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old widow meticulously dedicated to her cleaning job at the Sowell Bay aquarium.

— Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Now on Kickstarter, the ScanMax 320 is a powerful, portable, and intelligent scanning solution meticulously crafted for modern workflows.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of meticulously

Adverb

The events surrounding that night have been exhaustively investigated and recounted in numerous stories, documentaries and police investigations.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
But rather than further ratchet up the stakes in the final minutes, the episode closes with Rosemary exhaustively — and rather hilariously — going over an extensive genealogical document for Tom and Patricia.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026

Definition of exhaustively

Adverb

One way in which Wounaan do so is conscientiously sharing and redistributing food, money, wisdom and the like to foster equity.

— Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026
By thinking locally, building conscientiously, and operationalizing sustainability in our deployment choices, AI users, companies, and developers can also help ensure that the infrastructure powering our future doesn’t cost us the earth.

— Sasha Luccioni, Time, 3 July 2026

Definition of conscientiously

Adverb

When concerns were raised about this contract, the Town took them seriously, reviewed the matter carefully, and acted promptly based on the findings.

— Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
And businesses may be seriously underestimating the value of freeing up their people to have new ideas.

— Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of seriously

Adverb

Normal in the sense that Shanahan has attentively watched every practice, typically doing so about 30 yards behind the defense.

— Cam Inman, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
The Child has placed his foot on the basket of yarns and has grasped the yarnwinder and gazes attentively at the four spokes that are in the form of a cross.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of attentively

Adverb

And there is a shocking dearth of evidence to the contrary, given how ardently Peters and her supporters have clung to this narrative for the past six years.

— The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 7 July 2026
Kevan Harris, an associate professor of sociology at UCLA who has studied the Iranian diaspora, said some of the ardently monarchist Iranians became disillusioned and demobilized when the war’s initial objective of regime change failed.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026

Definition of ardently

Adverb

On day two, one of the servers tells me earnestly that a bowl of vegetable soup, consumed properly, should take about half an hour to finish.

— Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2026
Anne Hathaway will always be the Princess of Genovia for a certain generation, earnestly searching for meaning and truth as her life is turned upside down.

— Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of earnestly

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“Painstakingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painstakingly. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of painstakingly

adverb

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