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.
The Georgia singer’s hushed delivery set to plaintive piano turns the previously muscular love song into one of pained heartbreak, and Dunn gamely follows Moroney’s lead into emo-country territory. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024 Working from a script by Oscar nominee Stuart Blumberg, Norton focuses on how two adorable best friends use pained humor to survive personal crises of faith, rather than on those crises themselves, as so many films about clergy tend to do. Sean Malin, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024 An on-field microphone picked up a pained profanity upon impact, but Tucker still attempted to finish his plate appearance. Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024 The camera may have then have panned to the pained parents sitting in the stands, hoping/praying that their kid’s error wasn’t a bad omen. Dan Freedman, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near pained

Cite this Entry

“Pained.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pained. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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