painful — causing physical or emotional pain; difficult to endure
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: causing physical or emotional pain; difficult to endure
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpeɪnfəl/
Example Sentences
- Getting a tattoo on your ribs is more painful than eating your mom's cooking.
- The painful truth is that I spent more on coffee this month than on groceries.
- It's painful to watch him try to parallel park for the tenth time.
painful
ADJECTIVE[/ˈpeɪnfəl/]
causing physical or emotional pain; difficult to endure
The athlete suffered a painful injury and could barely walk after the game.
The painful memory of losing his childhood home stayed with him for many years.
The painful training became gainful, and the athlete was thankful when the hard work finally paid off.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'painful' derives from Old French 'peine' (pain, suffering), which came into Middle English as 'pain'. The adjective-forming suffix '-ful' (full of, abounding in) was added to create 'painful', meaning 'full of pain or suffering'.
Breakdown
pain (Old French 'peine', meaning suffering or torment) + -ful (suffix meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by').
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Getting a tattoo on your ribs is more painful than eating your mom's cooking.”
“The painful truth is that I spent more on coffee this month than on groceries.”
“It's painful to watch him try to parallel park for the tenth time.”
“Breaking up with someone is always a painful process.”
📚Related Words
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