pains·tak·ing
ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ 
: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort
painstaking research
painstaking tasks
painstaking accuracy
: the action of taking pains : diligent care and effort
… greater painstaking to achieve incidental verisimilitude and accuracy of detail …—
Times Literary Supplement
Times Literary SupplementExamples of painstaking in a Sentence
Adjective
The book describes the election process in painstaking detail.
she was always painstaking about her work
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Those offer valuable clues to how a document was drafted and how its creators thought, but recovering and interpreting them is painstaking, specialized work.
—
Steven Melendez,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
Each element on the plate is laid by hand with painstaking precision, echoing the artisanal spirit Tiffany is known for.
—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
26 June 2026
However, it was then lost for many years, thought to have been destroyed in World War II, before its recent rediscovery and painstaking restoration by la Cinémathèque française, who acquired it for their collection in 2017.
—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
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Adjective
Python removal programs remain the most effective way to slow the invasion, but finding the snakes is painstaking, time-eating work.
—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
2 July 2026
Those offer valuable clues to how a document was drafted and how its creators thought, but recovering and interpreting them is painstaking, specialized work.
—
Steven Melendez,
Scientific American,
2 July 2026
Each element on the plate is laid by hand with painstaking precision, echoing the artisanal spirit Tiffany is known for.
—
Staff Author,
Travel + Leisure,
26 June 2026
However, it was then lost for many years, thought to have been destroyed in World War II, before its recent rediscovery and painstaking restoration by la Cinémathèque française, who acquired it for their collection in 2017.
—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for painstaking
Cite this Entry
“Painstaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painstaking. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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