painstaking

1 of 2

adjective

pains·​tak·​ing ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ How to pronounce painstaking (audio)
: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort
painstaking research
painstaking tasks
painstaking accuracy
painstakingly 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
On the plus side, the original 16-mm print of the film—which has gone mostly unseen for the past 50 years—has undergone a painstaking restoration, courtesy of Jackson (yet again). Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024 The painstaking Pletcher was up to that task, putting the colt into a nearly 90-day layoff/back-to-school course of works, no racing, largely at Saratoga. Guy Martin, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 For the foreseeable future, however, prospects will need to keep playing minor-league games; there is no A.I. replacement for expensive and painstaking clinical trials, in which many medicines fail. Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 The aldermen briefly succeeded during the transition period between Lightfoot and Johnson, passing a plan after weeks of painstaking negotiations. Ray Long, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for painstaking 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1685, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of painstaking was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near painstaking

Cite this Entry

“Painstaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painstaking. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

painstaking

adjective
pains·​tak·​ing
ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ
: taking or showing great care and effort
a painstaking search
painstakingly
-kiŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on painstaking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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