pain point

noun

plural pain points
: a persistent or recurring problem (as with a product or service) that frequently inconveniences or annoys customers
When you're in an established market, you have an established customer; their needs and pain points are clearly laid out on your competitors' review sites.Billy Polson
Customer service, which has been a pain point of bigger banks for years, is also improving in that it's getting faster and requires little from you.Chris Welch
broadly : something that is a recurring source of trouble, annoyance, or distress
One generation's parenting gospel often becomes another's pain point. Lynda Lin Grigsby
Meanwhile, ironing is a pain point with her boyfriend because she loves the look of a crisply pressed men's shirt. "He never irons his shirts and it drives me crazy," she [Elyse Moody] says. Jura Konicus

Examples of pain point in a Sentence

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.
Along with a loss of autonomy, more traffic, and insufficient office space, many are pointing to gas prices and childcare costs as significant pain points. Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 1 July 2026 The cost of eggs has been a pain point for American shoppers in recent years. Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 30 June 2026 The advantage lies in a precise, granular understanding of real needs, pain points and the unmet opportunities competitors overlook. Manmit Shrimali, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Errors have been among the pain points for the Mets this season, having the third-most in MLB, only behind the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pain point

Word History

First Known Use

1986, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pain point was in 1986

Cite this Entry

“Pain point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pain%20point. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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