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painful definition

pain·ful (pān′fəl)

adjective

  1. causing pain; hurting; distressing
  2. full of or suffering with pain; aching a painful finger
  3. requiring trouble and care; exacting and difficult
  4. annoying or tedious a long, painful lecture
  5. Archaic painstaking

Related Forms:

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

painful Synonyms

painful

modif.

  1. Referring to physical anguish

    sore, raw, aching, throbbing, burning, torturing, hurtful, biting, piercing, sharp, severe, caustic, tormenting, smarting, extreme, grievous, griping, stinging, lacerating, bruised, sensitive, tender, irritated, irritable, vexatious, distressing, agonizing, excruciating, torturous, grievous, inflamed, burned, unpleasant, ulcerated, abscessed, uncomfortable; see also sore.

    Antonyms healthy*, comfortable*, well. *

  2. Referring to mental anguish

    unpleasant, distasteful, grievous, worrying, depressing, saddening; see also disturbing.


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.

painful Usage Examples

Infinitive complement

  • contemplate: THE STORY OF THE CRIME The story of the crime is one that is most painful to contemplate and to record.

Modifies a noun

  • spasm: This can make normal mobility impossible and can also cause painful muscular spasms.

Modifying Another Word

  • excruciatingly: The first session saw the squad pound out the miles and burn their thigh muscles on the excruciatingly painful sand dunes.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: As time went by the knee became quite painful on exercise and started to swell a little.
painful 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.

painful quotes

If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat.

-Angelou, Maya originally MayaJohnson

It is as natural to die as to be born; and to a little infant, perhaps, the one is as painful as the other.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until Iwent intothesanctuaryof God; thenunderstood I their end.

-Bible (Old Testament)

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

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/painful>

APA Style

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

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/painful

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