PAINFUL Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

painful

adjective

ˈpān-fəl

Definition of painful

as in sore

causing or feeling bodily pain a very painful toothache her broken arm was too painful for her to go on the trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in harsh

hard to accept or bear especially emotionally it's been very painful to accept that my father is gone forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of painful Nearly eight months of war in Iran have produced one of the most severe energy shocks in decades, exposing a sharp divide between the countries that absorbed it with surprising ease and those forced into painful tradeoffs. — Dr. Sarah Kapnick, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Kristin Cavallari is reflecting on a painful lesson after lending her father a quarter of a million dollars. — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 The news stirred painful memories for Lebanese Jews like Abadie, 65, who was born and raised in Beirut to parents who moved to Lebanon from Syria. — ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026 The one that was most painful, perhaps, was the one on the most consequential Panthers drive of the day. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for painful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for painful

Adjective

The vaccine’s side effects were mainly the sore arm, fatigue and other reactions typical of mRNA coronavirus vaccination, MD Anderson's Tawbi said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
The vaccine’s side effects were mainly the sore arm, fatigue and other reactions typical of mRNA coronavirus vaccination, Tawbi said.

— Lauren Neergaard, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of sore

Adjective

The homestretch of the drama, however, takes the story in a chilling direction, packing an aching quantity of feeling into a single glance at a security camera as someone climbs into a car and leaves the compound, never to be heard from again.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2026
Charles Frazier, Cold Mountain (1997) Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain is an aching, tender slow burn shaped by absence.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of aching

Adjective

Participants fell into their roles a little too well and, after a prisoner rebellion, increasingly cruel forms of punishment from the guards and a number of students suffering mental breakdowns, the experiment was ended on the sixth day.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
But these townswomen — whether the undersexed Bakerwoman (Ella Bruccoleri ) or the prim, cruel busybody the Tailor’s Wife (a deliciously scheming Elizabeth Debicki) — are deeply unhappy with their own lot in life.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

But genuinely funny moments are rare, badly outnumbered by done-to-death musings regarding the mysteries of being alive and torturous melodramatic moments in which Klara dully absorbs the severity of Josie’s illness and Chrissy’s sorrow.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
The visits come as Republicans are gearing up for a potentially torturous election cycle amid broad voter dissatisfaction on a slew of issues, including the economy, war with Iran and Trump himself.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of torturous

Adjective

Tapper, who first became interested in the story while visiting France with his family, used source material in four different languages to chronicle the pursuit for Barbie in excruciating detail.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
That lack of production makes the three-point losses to the Chiefs and Bills even more excruciating for the Raiders.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of excruciating

Adjective

Many of those wins have been agonizing for the Bears to endure like when TCU upset a top-10 Baylor squad in 2021 or when the Horned Frogs scored a walk-off field goal the very next season in Waco to keep their undefeated season alive.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
In her book, Dawood writes about an investigator telling her not to go down the agonizing road of hindsight.

— Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of agonizing

Adjective

The classmate, Joleene Altum, sued Griffin for emotional distress and invasion of privacy, and Griffin countersued for defamation in a bitter, ongoing legal battle.

— Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
The episode was a bitter lesson for the group, resulting in resentment and division.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitter

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“Painful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painful. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of painful

adjective

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