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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of painful
Even despite their best efforts, Romans couldn’t escape the painful discomfort that comes with being a kid who doesn’t quite fit in.
—
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Any budget reduction would be painful, but the city has other options, starting with reducing the many middle management additions.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Yet the single blemish on his resume is eternally painful to Dodgers fans.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
The Atlanta Hawks' season came to a stunning and painful end Thursday night, as the team suffered a historic 140-89 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of their playoff series.
—Rashad Williams, CBS News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Any budget reduction would be painful, but the city has other options, starting with reducing the many middle management additions.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
Yet the single blemish on his resume is eternally painful to Dodgers fans.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
The Atlanta Hawks' season came to a stunning and painful end Thursday night, as the team suffered a historic 140-89 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 6 of their playoff series.
—Rashad Williams, CBS News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
-
Stretching or using a foam roller on sore or tight muscles can apply pressure to the fascia while stretching the limb, Kanjiya says.—
Scott Haak,
EverydayHealth.com,
6 May 2026
-
In a steam room, the moist heat will soothe sore muscles and joints and can be useful for conditions like arthritis or muscle stiffness.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The barren landscape, despite its harsh conditions (daytime temperatures often exceed 125 degrees Fahrenheit), was—and still is—famous for its connection to many legends of treasure.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
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Drivers may also experience smoother brake operation because the system avoids the harsh pedal pulsing commonly associated with older anti-lock braking systems.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The dramatic and aching second movement, according to Egarr, may have been a love letter to one of Beethoven’s romantic interests.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Even his students can be casually cruel to each other, emulating a president that Artie almost cannot fathom.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Baseball is a sport built on failure surrounded by a cruel, cynical business, but this level of irony is almost too rich to digest.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Activists claim the animals were living in torturous conditions and were being used for medical research.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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But sad books need not be torturous books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If The House is Burning captured the joie de vivre of reclaiming your life after years of disassociation and detachment, IT’S BEEN AWFUL depicts the excruciating process of living with your eyes wide open, of holding up the mirror to your face and not looking away.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
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Some of those have been excruciating, ended long winning streaks, came at the buzzer or in overtime.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Thankfully, New Yorkers have recently been freed from the agonizing personal calculus of whether to air-freight burritos across the landmass of North America.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
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After that, in agonizing real time, the Mets became both an epic and embarrassing financial disaster, even for somebody with pockets as deep as Steve Cohen’s.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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During Chicago’s bitter winter of 2013-2014, the Humboldt Park Lagoon froze over, and snow piled on top of the thick layer of ice, plunging vegetation into a deadly darkness.—
Adriana Pérez,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
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Blake Lively agreed to settle her retaliation lawsuit against Justin Baldoni’s production company Wayfarer Studios, dodging a trial over the bitter Hollywood feud weeks before it was set to begin and bringing an end to a conflict that has sparked widespread interest for nearly two years.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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