1
as in sore
causing or feeling bodily pain
a very painful toothache her broken arm was too painful for her to go on the trip
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harsh
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
it's been very painful to accept that my father is gone forever
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of painful
The question is whether that gap closes through deliberate investment and policy coordination, or through something more painful.
—
Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
While that’s painful for house hunters, note that the surge was the 18th-smallest among states and trailed the 93% jump nationally.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Trust me, nothing ruins your day more than a painful sunburn or seeing your beautiful landscape suddenly become overrun by weeds.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Unfortunately, beyond the painful stings some can deliver, ants can also have detrimental effects on the garden.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
While that’s painful for house hunters, note that the surge was the 18th-smallest among states and trailed the 93% jump nationally.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Trust me, nothing ruins your day more than a painful sunburn or seeing your beautiful landscape suddenly become overrun by weeds.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Unfortunately, beyond the painful stings some can deliver, ants can also have detrimental effects on the garden.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for painful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful
Adjective
-
Alex Bregman, originally not in the Chicago Cubs lineup because of a sore toe from a hit by pitch Sunday, was called on to pinch hit in the seventh inning Tuesday night at Petco Park.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the Tigers’ bullpen has still been a sore point so far this season.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Accusations were made, lawsuits were filed, harsh words were spoken and feelings were hurt.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
It’s prized for sculpting a high-definition lip that holds up under the harshest red-carpet lighting.—
Micaela English,
Glamour,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The dramatic and aching second movement, according to Egarr, may have been a love letter to one of Beethoven’s romantic interests.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In what neatly encapsulates the uncomfortable, rude, thin-skinned yet cruel, sarcastic and ultimately juvenile communication style of his online brood, the leader of the pack started with — what else — Lawrence’s looks.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
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Every day in New York City, thousands of home attendants are being forced to work cruel 24-hour shifts while being paid for only 13 of those hours.—
Christopher Marte,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Activists claim the animals were living in torturous conditions and were being used for medical research.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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But sad books need not be torturous books.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The process is long and excruciating, said Oceguera, but they’re just left with the essence of pineapple and coconut that’s carbonated a little for lightness on your tongue.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Each actor elevates and pushes the other toward greatness, parrying and thrusting in excruciating exchanges and switching from vulnerability to anger in a matter of seconds.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The family of Stephen Nolte, a Navy veteran who died at 71 after contracting a bacterial infection following open-heart surgery at The University of Kansas Hospital, testified in Wyandotte County District Court about his life and agonizing decline.—
Judy L. Thomas,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
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For vegan and vegetarian folks, craving juicy, tender tacos or a melt-in-your-mouth salmon sushi dish can feel agonizing.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Down 3-1 after dropping the first three games, little has gone right for the Penguins against their most bitter rival, and advancing will require an improbable and historic comeback.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The bitter legal fight between Elon Musk and the leading artificial intelligence firm, OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, may come down to a few pages in one executive's personal diary.—
Deepa Seetharaman,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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