Painful
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈpeɪn.fl̩/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Painful is an adjective meaning Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental.
Meaning
Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental.
More Meanings
- Afflicted or suffering with pain (of a body part or, formerly, of a person).
- Requiring effort or labor; difficult, laborious.
- (informal) Very bad, poor.
- (archaic) Painstaking; careful; industrious.
Example Sentences
His violin playing is painful.
For twenty generations, here was the earthly arena where painful living men worked out their life-wrestle
To all these painful labourers Johnson shewed a never-ceasing kindness, so far as they stood in need of it.
A rackingly painful disease that affects the joints and finally cripples, it is caused by an imbalance of uric acid in the system.
Word Forms
- painfuller
- painfullest
- painfull
Synonyms for painful
Depending on context, synonyms include achesome, aching, achy, raw, hurt, hurty.
Antonyms for painful
Common opposites include acheless, agreeable, pain-free, painless, pleasant, painfree.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include agonizing, aching, excruciating, sore, harrowing, torturing.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.