painstaking

1 of 2

adjective

pains·​tak·​ing ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ 

: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort

painstaking research

painstaking tasks

painstaking accuracy

painstakingly

ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ-lē 

adverb

painstaking

2 of 2

noun

: the action of taking pains : diligent care and effort

… greater painstaking to achieve incidental verisimilitude and accuracy of detail …

—Times Literary Supplement

Synonyms

Adjective

• careful
• conscientious
• fussy
• loving
• meticulous
• scrupulous

Examples of painstaking in a Sentence

Adjective

The book describes the election process in painstaking detail.

she was always painstaking about her work

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Each handcrafted ceramic highlights a painstaking production process to furnish unique shapes, textures, and hues. —Geoff Whitmore, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Kenny said the investigation is ongoing and involves painstaking work. —Phil Helsel, NBC News, 7 Dec. 2024

Gone are the days when advanced 3D modeling skills were necessary or when building custom models required painstaking manual design. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024

The restoration project, which raised €846 million ($891 million) from 340,000 donors across 150 countries, involved more than 2,000 artisans and took years of painstaking work. —The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1685, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

painstaking

adjective

pains·​tak·​ing

ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ

: taking or showing great care and effort

a painstaking search

painstakingly

-kiŋ-lē

adverb