painstaking

[peynz-tey-king, peyn-stey-] / ˈpeɪnzˌteɪ kɪŋ, ˈpeɪnˌsteɪ- /

ADJECTIVE

meticulous, thorough

Synonyms

STRONGEST

assiduous careful conscientious diligent earnest exacting scrupulous strenuous

STRONG

detail-oriented

WEAK

by the book by the numbers conscionable exact finicky fussbudget fussy hard-working heedful industrious particular persevering persnickety picky punctilious punctual sedulous stickler thoroughgoing

Antonyms

STRONGEST

careless lazy lethargic negligent thoughtless uncareful unconcerned unenthusiastic unscrupulous

WEAK

easy half-baked half-done unmindful unthorough

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I am deeply grateful to the Commission for their unceasing efforts to find the Disappeared, and for their painstaking efforts to help ease these families' long suffering," said Hilary Benn.

From BBC • May 26, 2026

This is, to put it plainly, the stuff of well-considered emotional rawness, painstaking portraiture of our collective pasts.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Gilead returned to TAF in 2010, engaging in years of painstaking research and costly clinical trials.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

The challenge for management, directors and investors is to have patience through this painstaking process while simultaneously kicking the tires and asking all the right questions during the building process.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Finally, after painstaking research through old books of Wizarding families, he discovered the existence of Slytherin’s surviving line.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Vocabulary lists containing painstaking

List 8

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Hatchet

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

The Haunting of Hill House

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!