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

• aching
• achy
• afflictive
• hurting
• nasty
• sore

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

Kripke, for his part, said the show’s writers sought to make a point with the painful storyline. —Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 21 June 2024

Cramps shows up as painful muscle cramps or spasms along with heavy sweating, according to NWS. —Katie Wiseman, The Indianapolis Star, 21 June 2024

Best Swimsuits All Around: Amazon One retailer that’ll make your swimsuit shopping a little less painful is Amazon. —Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 21 June 2024

Stingrays love to congregate there in the calm, warm waters at the mouth of the San Gabriel River, and lifeguards document upward of 500 painful stab injuries from rays each year. —Katharine Gammon, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing painful

• painful to the touch

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