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
The account of the painstaking American effort to find common ground with China, led by a deeply committed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, is worthwhile reading even for those whose primary interest is U.S.-Chinese relations rather than climate. Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025 After over three years of painstaking work (only a single minute of film could be completed each week), DreamWorks’ then-burgeoning animation arm released Chicken Run to widespread critical acclaim. Vikram Murthi, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025 Everything at the Barracks was a painstaking work in progress. Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024 The vast majority of leather belts on the market are machine stitched, with a vanishingly small minority distinguished by a painstaking process called saddle-stitching. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 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 20 Jan. 2025.

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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