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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of painful
Reportedly, the Queen has been warned against painful surgery to remove bunions.
—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 15 June 2025
The final 2:58 was a painful stretch for a team that controlled so much of Games 3 and 4.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Burnett went and introduced his films, an experience that was both joyous and painful.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
For millions of Americans, the road to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is slow and painful, sought only when symptoms become unmistakable.
—Louise Jacobsen Fisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for painful
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 15 June 2025
The final 2:58 was a painful stretch for a team that controlled so much of Games 3 and 4.
—Tony East, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Burnett went and introduced his films, an experience that was both joyous and painful.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
For millions of Americans, the road to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is slow and painful, sought only when symptoms become unmistakable.
—Louise Jacobsen Fisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
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Are sore, achy feet keeping you from putting your best foot forward?—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
7 June 2025
-
Meyers insisted that this was the only sore subject between the two comedians.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Unlike many traditional sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate—two common culprits behind coral bleaching—reef-safe formulas skip the harsh stuff in favor of ocean-friendly alternatives that tend to also be gentler on sensitive skin.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
16 June 2025
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Some of them include washing with harsh shampoos, particularly those with sulfates or alcohol; overusing scalp scrubs or clarifying products; and not washing frequently enough.—
Jamie Wilson,
Glamour,
16 June 2025
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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And for every San Antonio, there is a Utah or Washington or Charlotte that can’t believe how cruel the lottery can be.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
3 June 2025
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This is cruel, unnecessary, and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Included in that torturous run was a 24-game losing streak.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
1 June 2025
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Jenkins wants to retire to focus on her health, leaving a legacy of having led her community through a torturous time.—
Curtis Bunn,
NBC news,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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Anderson won his first of his record 23 races in 2005 and broke his ankle in the celebrations, but the excruciating pain and eight weeks in a cast didn’t put him off.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
25 May 2025
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This became even more imposing when, toward the end of Game Four—another one that the Knicks seemed poised to win—the Celtics star Jayson Tatum suffered an excruciating injury to his Achilles tendon and crumpled onto the hardwood, howling in pain.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
An agonizing and eventful 42 minutes later, elation erupted throughout the century-old ballpark as rookie catcher Carlos Narváez clocked a single off the wall for a 2-1 walk-off win for the Red Sox in the 10th inning.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
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An alligator that narrowly escaped poachers in Florida was left in an agonizing predicament when a cord cinched to its head began slicing off its nose, a YouTube video shows.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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But the fascination of the early days was gone, and more often than not their time together devolved into bitter spats.—
Mark Polizzoti
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
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Lips can get a bit of color too, via RMS Beauty’s Legendary Lip Oil packed with adaptogenic herbs, jojoba oil, vanilla extract, and bitter cherry seed oil to condition the pout.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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