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painfulcausing 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

Dental procedure causing intense pain
💡 Concept

Dental procedure causing intense pain

Painful hands create gainful art, despite disdainful hearts!
🎵 Rhyme

Painful hands create gainful art, despite disdainful hearts!

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈpeɪnfəl/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈpeɪnfəl/

🌳Etymology

Rootpain
Suffix--ful

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

gainfuldisdainful
gainful
disdainful

🔗Collocations

painful experience
painful memory
physically painful
emotionally painful
painful truth
painful decision
painful lesson

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

Getting a tattoo on your ribs is more painful than eating your mom's cooking.

😄 Fun example

The painful truth is that I spent more on coffee this month than on groceries.

😄 Fun example

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

Synonyms

agonizingexcruciatingdistressingunbearabletorturous

Antonyms

painlesscomfortablepleasant

Related

painsufferhurtacheagony

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