painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl 

painfuller ˈpān-fə-lər  ; painfullest

1

a

: feeling or giving pain

a painful injury

b

: irksome, annoying

2

: requiring effort or exertion

a long painful trip

3

archaic : careful, diligent

painfully

ˈpān-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

painfulness

ˈpān-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of painful

• sore
• aching
• hurting

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

All this may explain why the war doesn’t linger in British memory as a painful loss. —Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

But Saturday’s loss will hurt for a while, with Messi delivering a message to the team following the painful result. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 May 2026

This could help explain why hormonal birth control is so often prescribed for dozens of ailments—including painful periods, fibroids, and PCOS—that have few other effective treatments. —Andréa Becker, The Atlantic, 3 May 2026

The events that unfolded in Tiananmen Square during those intervening months—which reached a violent crescendo on the night of June 3, 1989—form the work’s painful subtext. —Pauline J. Yao, Artforum, 2 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing painful

• painful to the touch

Rhymes for painful

• gainful
• disdainful

Kids Definition

painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl 

: feeling or giving pain

painfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

painfulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun

Medical Definition

painful

adjective

pain·​ful ˈpān-fəl 

painfuller -fə-lər  ; painfullest

: feeling or giving pain

painfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb