painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
painfuller ˈpān-fə-lər How to pronounce painful (audio) ; painfullest
1
a
: feeling or giving pain
a painful injury
2
: requiring effort or exertion
a long painful trip
3
archaic : careful, diligent
painfully adverb
painfulness noun

Examples of painful in a Sentence

I got a painful sunburn. We can't ignore our country's painful history of slavery. His questions brought up a lot of painful memories. It was painful to watch.
Recent Examples on the Web As a proud Jew for Palestinian freedom, being excluded from a rally against antisemitism was painful. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 On its own, the death of any child is a painful and agonizing time for a parent. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2024 But in severe cases of eczema, the skin condition can be painful to interfere with daily activities. Amanda Gardner, Health, 4 Mar. 2024 This condition can cause painful kidney stones or possibly interfere with healthy bone development, as well as heart and brain functions. Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024 President Biden and his allies had reasons for both hope and concern after a Michigan primary election that revealed the party’s painful divisions over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and confronted him with his largest measure of Democratic opposition to date. Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Of all the heart-stopping battles in Shōgun, this painful argument between two dignified old men who love each other may be the toughest to forget. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 27 Feb. 2024 Most people would say that waxing and tweezing are more painful. Delaney Nothaft, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2024 But revenue was in especially short supply during Roosevelt’s presidency, especially during the painful years of the Great Depression. Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'painful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of painful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near painful

Cite this Entry

“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painful. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

painful

adjective
pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
: feeling or giving pain
painfully adverb
painfulness noun

Medical Definition

painful

adjective
pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)
painfuller -fə-lər How to pronounce painful (audio) ; painfullest
: feeling or giving pain
painfully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on painful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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