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pain definition

pain (pān)

noun

  1. penalty or punishment: obs. except in on (or upon or under) pain of, at the risk of bringing upon oneself (punishment, death, etc.)
  2. a sensation of hurting, or strong discomfort, in some part of the body, caused by an injury, disease, or functional disorder, and transmitted through the nervous system
  3. the distress or suffering, mental or physical, caused by great anxiety, anguish, grief, disappointment, etc.
  4. the labor of childbirth
  5. great care or effort to take pains with one's work
  6. Slang an annoyance: often used in phrases specifying a part of the body (e.g., pain in the neck)

Etymology: ME peine < OFr < L poena, penalty, punishment: see penal

transitive verb

to cause to suffer; hurt; distress

intransitive verb

to have or cause pain
pain Idioms

feel no pain

Slang to be drunk

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms pain idiom

medical pain definition - medical

pain Synonyms

pain

n.

  1. Suffering, physical or mental

    hurt, anguish, distress, discomfort, disorder, agony, misery, crucifixion, martyrdom, wretchedness, shock, torture, torment, passion; see also injury 1.

    Antonyms health*, well-being*, ease. *

  2. Suffering, usually physical

    ache, twinge, catch, throb, throe, spasm, cramp, gripe, stitch, torture, malady, sickness, rack, laceration, paroxysm, soreness, fever, burning, prick, torment, distress, agony, affliction, discomfort, hurt, pang, wound, strain, sting, burn, crick; see also illness 1, injury 1.

    Specific kinds of pains (including aches) include: housemaid's knee, tennis elbow, shin splint, arthritis, arthritic pain, rheumatism, inflammatory rheumatism, gout, peritonitis, bursitis, earache, headache, stomachache, bellyache, toothache, backache.

  3. Suffering, usually mental

    despondency, worry, anxiety; see depression 2, grief 1, sadness.

  4. Effort; used in plural

    effort, endeavor, care; see effort. See syn. study at effort.

feeling no pain*

intoxicated, inebriated, stoned*; see drunk.

upon <strong>or </strong>under pain of

at the risk of, in danger of, risking; see gambling.


pain

v.

distress, grieve, trouble; see hurt 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

pain Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • relieve: It can really help to relieve lower back pain.

Adjective modifier

  • abdominal: Female pelvic organs Symptoms of painful periods Cramping lower abdominal pains are the most common symptom.

Modifies a noun

  • relief: Pain relief CD to download or buy right now!

Noun used with modifier

  • chest: Initial analysis will focus on patients with chest pain.

Preposition: in

  • ass: Building MSI installers turns out to be almost completely a pain in the ass.

Preposition: of

  • childbirth: Do you think part of a mother's happiness may be because she has come through the pain of childbirth?
pain usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

pain quotes

There was a faith-healer of Deal Who said,'Although pain isn't real, If I sit on a pin 22 And it punctures my skin, I dislike what I fancy I feel.'

-Anonymous

No painöno gain.

-Anonymous

Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine. Et nos amours, faut-il qu'il m'en souvienne? La joie venait toujours apre'  s la peine. Under Mirabeau Bridge flows the Seine. And our loves, must I remember them? Joy always came after pain.

-Kostrowitzki

pain quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"pain." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 3 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/pain>

APA Style

pain. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 3rd, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/pain

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