1
as in ache
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
the child was crying because of a pain in her knee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a sprained ankle caused him great pain for a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in care
pains plural
strict attentiveness to what one is doing
asked the movers to take pains to be sure that they didn't damage anything while moving the furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in work
pains plural
the active use of energy in producing a result
she was at pains to reassure us that everything would be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
sometimes that child, who apparently never tires of asking questions, can be such a pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pain
Darrell Smith
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Tees are made with dual layers of wearable technology to improve your alignment, enhance physical function, eliminate pain and boost athletic recovery.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Missing Barcelona pained Vowles and Williams as a whole.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
The man continued to yell in pain and appeared to attempt to comply with orders to place his hands underneath his stomach on the floor.
—Darrell Smith
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Tees are made with dual layers of wearable technology to improve your alignment, enhance physical function, eliminate pain and boost athletic recovery.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
Verb
The disappearances also pain me.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
Missing Barcelona pained Vowles and Williams as a whole.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
-
Mary Jannotta sliced meat and cheese behind deli counters at Acme and Pathmark supermarkets in the Philadelphia suburbs for decades, developing aches that came with working on her feet.—
Craig R. McCoy,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Growing up, Curp wrestled with fatigue and aches, not only on her skin, but also in her joints.—
Xitlalic Montelongo,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In addition to battery, fraud and intentionally inflicting emotional distress, Mendoza is suing Clavicular for the unauthorized publication of her name and likeness.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
That standard is based on the Five Freedoms of animal welfare developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Council, which include freedom from hunger and thirst; from discomfort; from pain, from injury or disease, from fear and distress; and freedom to express normal behavior.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Detroit failed to take care of the ball when the Magic scored 23 points off 20 takeaways.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Older adults tend to begin treatment within a month of symptoms starting — but young adults face an average seven-month delay before getting care.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Full Moon moves through your 10th House of Visibility, bringing attention to your role, direction, and how others see your work.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
Dameron’s work has appeared in Kweli Journal, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus, and elsewhere.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Most homeowners are surprised to learn the buzzing nuisance ruining their evenings probably started life just steps from the back door.—
Ryan Brennan
April 30,
Miami Herald,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Previous modernization efforts The airport has previously suffered from a host of issues that have proved nuisances for travelers, including green liquid falling from the ceiling and broken escalators.—
Sarah Perkel,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Yoon was in office, Kim was embroiled in a series of scandals that hurt her husband’s approval rating and provided relentless political ammunition to his rivals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
When Yoon was in office, Kim was embroiled in scandals that hurt her husband’s approval rating and provided political ammunition to his rivals.—
Hyung-Jin Kim,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At a recent sleepover, my 15-year-old son and his 14-year-old friend Charlie, driven by a pang of nostalgia, chose to watch the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics on YouTube.—
Luba Kassova,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
-
What Brooks proffers is not the philosophy these queries require but a kind of pharmacology—a pill designed to alleviate every last pang.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The breakup with Claude is why Mathias left Lyon and radically changed his life, and their encounter brings his romantic agony rushing back.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
That’s a woman reaching up in agony and fear.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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