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 Sometimes life delivers things to you, and the delivery system is so painful. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024 Some people will have a UTI resolve on its own within a day or two, but waiting can be painful and may increase the risk of serious complications, including kidney infection. Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 25 Oct. 2024 If Harbaugh’s latest line sounds painful, that’s because it’s meant to be. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024 Middle school gets a bad rap—probably because many of us carry our own painful memories from that tumultuous time. Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for painful 

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 4 Nov. 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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