1
as in sore
causing or feeling bodily pain
a very painful toothache her broken arm was too painful for her to go on the trip
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harsh
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
it's been very painful to accept that my father is gone forever
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Recent Examples of painful
Writing, though painful, is a necessary act of remembrance for him.
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Elizabeth Wells, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Still, watching Hannah scold him about everything, from 401(k)s to boiling water to phone bills, from ordering him to walk a dog that doesn’t belong to him to telling him that riding hotel pool furniture would give her the ick, was painful.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
This may cause your breasts to excessively move around or sag, which can be particularly painful during high-impact activities, says Schumacher.
—Julia Ries, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024
Sometimes life delivers things to you, and the delivery system is so painful.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for painful 
Elizabeth Wells, CNN, 31 Oct. 2024
Still, watching Hannah scold him about everything, from 401(k)s to boiling water to phone bills, from ordering him to walk a dog that doesn’t belong to him to telling him that riding hotel pool furniture would give her the ick, was painful.
—Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
This may cause your breasts to excessively move around or sag, which can be particularly painful during high-impact activities, says Schumacher.
—Julia Ries, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024
Sometimes life delivers things to you, and the delivery system is so painful.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
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By day, hit the powder, then relieve sore muscles at the spa.Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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Imagine walking through your perfect itinerary for your trip to Rome only to have blisters and sore feet on day one, curbing your ability to wander the city’s romantic streets.Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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There are also more-than-adequate storage spaces in the large center console annd all four doors. CHANGE: The ride quality The ride quality is a little harsher in the Sorento than in some of its competitors, especially with the 20-inch wheels and lower profile tires the tester came equipped with.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
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Trump’s comments on Taiwan have been unusually harsh for China policy in Washington, where there is a general bipartisan consensus to be tough on Beijing and Xi, who has pledged to reunify with Taipei, by force if necessary.Brad Dress, The Hill, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Vail’s spaghetti-Western instincts are ever present in 100 Cowboys, but beyond the uptempo pop-rock sound is an aching, earnest excavation of love gone wrong.CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2024
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This type of pain can be described as anything from sharp and throbbing to dull and aching.Cristina Mutchler, Health, 10 July 2024
Adjective
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This soaring exploration of generational trauma starts with Star, a survivor of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, who’s forced to speak English and practice Christianity by the man who goes on to found the notoriously cruel Carlisle Indian Industrial School.Lizz Schumer, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
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But at times, there’s a defensive, slightly cruel streak to his patter that can eclipse his better angels (of which there are many) and test the goodwill of those around him.Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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According to the political scientist Pierre Englebert, the Congolese government and people lose as much as $4 billion in revenue every year due to state agents’ manipulation of mining contracts and payments, torturous budget practices, and outright theft.Stephen R. Weissman, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2015
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The right boots, however, can make previously torturous bell-to-bell days no big deal.Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 9 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Marking its 70th anniversary in 2023, Buchinger Wilhelmi in Überlingen, Germany, was the brainchild of a clean-living German naval doctor, Otto Buchinger (1878-1966), whose career was cut short by excruciating rheumatism.Bill Prince, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024
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Helene's toll: Hurricane among the deadliest since 1950 The cost in dollars: Hurricane season will cost over $100B Women online are warning each other about painful procedures Kerry Schwartz suffered excruciating pain during a gynecological biopsy to have a fibroid removed.John Riley, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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These decisions are already inherently agonizing in and of themselves, only to be compounded by the uncertainty of what will and will not be covered by insurance.Renee Hsia, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
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Navigating long-term health care for older adults is an agonizing challenge faced by millions of people across the U.S.Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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On the eve of the election, amid a bitter chill, Marisela Olvera, a member of the Culinary Workers Union, rapped on doors in North Las Vegas to make her pitch.Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
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In a bitter twist of fate, Trump made these remarks about Xi on the day that Liu Xiaobo died.Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near painful
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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