PAINSTAKINGLY Synonyms: 66 Similar and Opposite Words

painstakingly

adverb

as in meticulously

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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 In years past, audio hosts would painstakingly describe a chart. — Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 To be stacked together efficiently, they must be painstakingly paired for infinitesimal compatibility. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The painstakingly slow pace is rewarded, as a whimsical work is gradually brought to life through a series of frames. — Bridget Arsenault, Vanity Fair, 14 Oct. 2026 The two then painstakingly matched the items with photos of Guest wearing them in order to tell the complete visual story of her life. — Ari Stark, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 The husband-and-wife duo painstakingly restored the home and opened it as a luxury bed-and-breakfast three years later. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026 The Movistar Plus Original has been painstakingly researched, and is set in the late 1990s and early 2000s. — Emily Longeretta, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 The sets for our covers, painstakingly assembled by the creative director Jana Frost, are meant to show these arrivals were anything but sudden and easy. — Sam Jacobs, Time, 30 Sep. 2026 The white clapboard exterior topped with typical Norse dragon heads was taken back into the family in 1995 by Haeger’s great great granddaughter Ellika Modenfelt, who painstakingly restored it to its former glory with the help of local craftsmen. — Natasha Langan, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for painstakingly

Adverb

With Joel and Ethan Coen, the process was often meticulously planned.

— Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Veteran chef Sam Koo builds the changing selection around fresh fish and meticulously handled rice, with rolls starting at $5, chirashi boxes from $23 and bento items priced $4 to $11.

— Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of meticulously

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

In a series thoroughly well cast (by Jessica Kelly and Lisa Parasyn), Lee and Brennan, especially, stand out as originals, their performances drawn from life, or some private corner of their imagination.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Blazy’s collection this season references an unstructured 1920s silhouette, while this style’s homage to the house’s boucle tweed, embellished with paillettes, creates a thoroughly modern evening look.

— Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of thoroughly

Adverb

Miranda Orozco, 50, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after admitting to arranging travel and accommodations for two people who died and another who was seriously injured.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
That one creative decision takes away Carrie’s agency at the most crucial moment and seriously undercuts the foundation on which the whole character arc rests.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of seriously

Adverb

While many Democrats have ardently defended transgender rights, particularly in California, others in the party have sided with Republicans or softened their support.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
On the other side of Via Solari, a handful of policemen gathered around dozens of demonstrators, who ardently—but peacefully—chanted for entirely different reasons.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of ardently

Adverb

And yet, if someone earnestly explores the merits of the zodiac or crystal healing at a dinner party, my inner cynic awakens.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 16 Oct. 2026
From the moment Errol Holden’s raps entered the public sphere in the early 2020s, listening to them has felt like hearing a stranger on the street earnestly tell you how the city has changed.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of earnestly

Browse Nearby Words

painstaking

painstakingly

paint

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Painstakingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painstakingly. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of painstakingly

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

puissant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes