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

Dental procedure causing intense pain

Painful hands create gainful art, despite disdainful hearts!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤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
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
Want to master 19,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.