1
as in ache
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
the child was crying because of a pain in her knee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a sprained ankle caused him great pain for a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in care
pains plural
strict attentiveness to what one is doing
asked the movers to take pains to be sure that they didn't damage anything while moving the furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in work
pains plural
the active use of energy in producing a result
she was at pains to reassure us that everything would be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
sometimes that child, who apparently never tires of asking questions, can be such a pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pain
Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2026
Inflation continues to rise, job losses are increasing and high gas prices are causing serious pain at the pump.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Missing Barcelona pained Vowles and Williams as a whole.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
Bondi's public embrace of the president, however, marked a sharp departure from her predecessors, who generally took pains to maintain an arm's-length distance from the White House to protect the impartiality of investigations and prosecutions.
—Arkansas Online, 3 Apr. 2026
Inflation continues to rise, job losses are increasing and high gas prices are causing serious pain at the pump.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
The disappearances also pain me.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Missing Barcelona pained Vowles and Williams as a whole.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
-
And that dawg had a tummy ache.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The bumps and bruises, aches, pain and fatigue that comes with air travel and sleeping in hotels and the unrelenting schedule takes its toll.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There is a long history of women's pain being dismissed by doctors, incorrectly categorized as period pain or rooted in psychological distress.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The lawsuit accuses the driver, named as a defendant, of assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Colorado Hospital Association — which opposes the bill — says state laws require all hospitals to screen patients for discounted care, wait six months before garnishing wages, and provide 30 days' notice.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Staffers showed up to providers for in-person visits, sometimes checking more than once, and found no child care taking place, which led to immediate termination from the program.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While Protect Wyoming is necessarily focused within the state and on state politics, rather than federal candidates, its work stands to influence nonresidents who hunt, fish, and recreate in the state.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
3 Apr. 2026
-
For commuters like Sirena Lopez, who drives two hours each way for work, the impact is immediate.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The site fell into neglect and became a blighted public nuisance.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The company could face even more penalties in a second phase of the trial set to start in May, over whether Meta created a public nuisance.—
Shannon Bond,
NPR,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
It was later changed due to players getting hurt.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
However, having players of those caliber on the court, both of whom have either been to the NBA Finals or won it, certainly shouldn't hurt.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At a recent sleepover, my 15-year-old son and his 14-year-old friend Charlie, driven by a pang of nostalgia, chose to watch the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on YouTube.—
Luba Kassova,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
What Brooks proffers is not the philosophy these queries require but a kind of pharmacology—a pill designed to alleviate every last pang.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The public markets’ agony may for the foreseeable future make assets less expensive, while AI urgency remains high.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
After walking for just a few minutes, their legs would painfully freeze up, as if turning to rock — an agony no doctor could explain.—
Alexandra Sifferlin,
STAT,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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