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Definitions

painful

[peyn-fuhl] / ˈpeɪn fəl /
ADJECTIVE
physically or mentally agonizing
Synonyms
STRONGEST
agonizing arduous awful difficult dire distasteful distressing excruciating hard harrowing heart-wrenching hurtful severe tedious terrible troublesome uncomfortable unpleasant
WEAK
aching afflictive biting burning caustic disagreeable dreadful extreme extremely bad grievous hurting inflamed irritated laborious piercing raw saddening sensitive sharp smarting sore stinging tender throbbing tormenting trying vexatious
Antonyms
STRONGEST
agreeable calm easy facile friendly good great helpful mild nice pleasant pleasing simple wonderful
WEAK
delightful painless

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.

Watching the foursome ahead of me putt out, one, then another, each one putting and marking, is so painful.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

“It was painful to throw it away,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

“It’s a very painful and hard thing to do,” Kanekar said of deploying FDEs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

The Oklahoma City Thunder condemned the Los Angeles Lakers to one of the heaviest defeats in their history - one made more painful by an injury to star Luka Doncic.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

How there are moments when it’s painful or boring, yeah.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.