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Definition of painful - 3 dictionary results

pain⋅ful

  [peyn-fuhl]
Use painful in a Sentence
–adjective
1. affected with, causing, or characterized by pain: a painful wound; a painful night; a painful memory.
2. laborious; exacting; difficult: a painful life.
3. Archaic. painstaking; careful.
Origin:
1300–50; ME; see pain, -ful

Related forms:
pain⋅ful⋅ly, adverb
pain⋅ful⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. distressing, torturing, agonizing, tormenting, excruciating. 2. arduous.

Antonyms:
2. easy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To painful
pain·ful   (pān'fəl)   
adj.  

  1. Causing pain.

  2. Full of pain.

  3. Requiring care and labor; irksome: a painful task.

  4. Archaic Diligent; careful.

pain'ful·ly adv., pain'ful·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pain·ful
Pronunciation: 'pAn-f&l
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: pain·ful·ler /-f&-l&r/;pain·ful·lest
: feeling or giving pain —pain·ful·ly /-f(&-)lE/ adverb
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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