Synonyms of painednext
1
: feeling pain : hurt
2
: expressing or involving pain
a pained expression
with pained surprise

Examples of pained in a Sentence

She wore a pained expression on her face. He truly looked pained when he heard the news.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Commander Mackenzie, who rarely makes an appearance, looks visibly pained to be there. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 13 May 2026 Five years later, after disappearing from public view and hitting a few more rock bottoms, Rashad dropped The House is Burning, a pained portrait of a person fresh out of rehab and uneasily seeking a path toward redemption. Brady Brickner-Wood, Pitchfork, 6 May 2026 Lakers medical personnel covered the finger with a towel and brought Vanderbilt immediately to the locker room, where building staffers could hear his pained screams. Dan Woike, New York Times, 6 May 2026 The story lacks the pained, human relatability of the OG. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pained

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pained was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Pained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pained. Accessed 19 May. 2026.

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