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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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
Carini withdrew from the match in just 46 seconds, in tears, and cried about how painful the experience was afterward.
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Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
And rich, fatty foods, such as gravy, can contribute to pancreatitis, a painful condition characterized by vomiting and lethargy that requires emergency veterinary care.
—Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024
That the film couldn’t break into Picture is painful, if not unexpected; that Clarence Maclin’s scene-stealing work was not recognized in a six-strong Supporting Actor field was more regrettable, especially in light of Deadwyler and Jean-Baptiste also missing out.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
This does not mean that this one-time price level increase is not painful for firms and consumers.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for painful 
Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
And rich, fatty foods, such as gravy, can contribute to pancreatitis, a painful condition characterized by vomiting and lethargy that requires emergency veterinary care.
—Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2024
That the film couldn’t break into Picture is painful, if not unexpected; that Clarence Maclin’s scene-stealing work was not recognized in a six-strong Supporting Actor field was more regrettable, especially in light of Deadwyler and Jean-Baptiste also missing out.
—Jen Chaney, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
This does not mean that this one-time price level increase is not painful for firms and consumers.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
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In the mountains, the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa in Avon offers treatments for dry skin and sore muscles at Spa Anjali.Mindy Sink, The Denver Post, 12 Dec. 2024
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Videos—of jaws before and after reshaping with masseter Botox and clips of people swearing by the procedure's ability to calm their sore jaws—have millions of views.Tori Crowther, Allure, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The corps’ push for additional benefits coincided with a harsh realization for the British Army: For white men, service in the West Indies was viewed as a death sentence due to the high risk of disease.Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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With his latest project, he’s found a balance between the harsher realities of the real world, and his own playful spirit.Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Somebody Somewhere is tiny: a gorgeous, introspective, intimate story about a woman with devastatingly mundane problems whose chief obstacle is her own aching sense of grief and dislocation.Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
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In this novel about the shape-shifting nature of love, Parsons captures Kit’s grief in aching and honest terms.Annabel Gutterman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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In Season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to Jacob (Ford) and Cara (Mirren) back at Dutton ranch.Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 Dec. 2024
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In season 2, a cruel winter brings new challenges and unfinished business to the Dutton ranch.Christian Holub, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The two halves of this character combine in a captivating performance for which Goggins was happy to endure a torturous prosthetic.Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 13 June 2024
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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
Adjective
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None of the series is easy to watch, but the fourth episode — in which the 36-year-old comedian takes a multi-day road trip with his estranged father, Joe — is both excruciating and intensely moving.EW Staff, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
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After suffering four excruciating defeats to begin its first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Cal could have been swallowed up by deja vu when Wake Forest fought back to trail just 39-36 midway through the fourth quarter on Friday night.Jeff Faraudo, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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But even in the worst cases of lupus, the decline—though agonizing—is much slower.ByJennifer Couzin-Frankel, science.org, 14 Nov. 2024
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For people who were close to Cliff Lambert, the still-unresolved legal saga surrounding his brutal killing more than a decade ago has been agonizing.Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The two are likely headed for a new bitter legal fight with money at stake.Alina Selyukh, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024
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The pith can be bitter, so some people don’t like the taste.Merve Ceylan, Health, 10 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near painful
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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