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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pain
Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 31 July 2025
Wolff’s attempts to find patterns to explain patients’ head pain in their personality traits were not entirely unusual in an era when Freudian psychology was capturing popular attention.
—Tom Zeller Jr.
july 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
What pained him the most, Abdullah said, was that his building survived the war and was demolished in February, months into the ceasefire.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
The pain persists, shaping countless lives for years to come.
—Graciela Mochkofsky, New Yorker, 31 July 2025
Wolff’s attempts to find patterns to explain patients’ head pain in their personality traits were not entirely unusual in an era when Freudian psychology was capturing popular attention.
—Tom Zeller Jr.
july 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025
Verb
Alonso rushed over and knelt down next to Senga as he was attended to by the trainers, looking pained himself.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
What pained him the most, Abdullah said, was that his building survived the war and was demolished in February, months into the ceasefire.
—Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
-
Symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea for those with a mild illness.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
29 July 2025
-
The world is a blur behind tears, an ache in my chest, my biggest pain.—
Pamela Avila,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
Extreme heat can also be an obstacle to exercising, spending time in nature, and socializing, all of which can make people feel good and also double as important coping mechanisms for emotional distress.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
26 July 2025
-
The lawsuit alleges both Transdev, which contracts with Boston Public Schools to provide bus transportation, and the driver Jean Charles were negligent and inflicted emotional distress on the family.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The team has doubled down on human contact and personal care at a time when automation and artificial intelligence have dominated service models.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
-
This trend reflects the increasing financialization of medical care.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
Especially given the ease of remote work these days, such moves wouldn’t be difficult.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 July 2025
-
Although there was talk of razing the church the following week, demolition work didn't begin until September.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
Last month, Los Angeles city officials declared these properties a public nuisance because of their failure to take action to clean up debris.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
-
The cicadas swarming in and around Cincinnati can be a nuisance.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
So which players helped their cause and who hurt it?—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Of all the clubs, the changes hurt Frisco Ice Hockey Association the most.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
And that flutter of success, or pang of failure, lives on well after the competition.—
Maggie Menderski,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
-
The first pangs struck in late May, when Werenski and the United States won the gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, the first gold for Team USA since 1933.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
With his wife in agony, Jason Nixdorf had a chance encounter with Zach Veigulis, a former chief data scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs who was co-founding a company to help patients battle insurance company denials.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
18 July 2025
-
Thank God that my family members could get vaccinated and have been free of the pain and agony of these illnesses.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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