pain
Americannoun
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physical suffering or distress, as due to injury, illness, etc.
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a distressing sensation in a particular part of the body.
a back pain.
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mental or emotional suffering or torment.
I am sorry my news causes you such pain.
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pains,
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laborious or careful efforts; assiduous care.
Great pains have been taken to repair the engine perfectly.
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the suffering of childbirth.
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Informal. an annoying or troublesome person or thing.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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the sensation of acute physical hurt or discomfort caused by injury, illness, etc
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emotional suffering or mental distress
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subject to the penalty of
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Also called: pain in the neck. pain in the arse. informal a person or thing that is a nuisance
verb
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to cause (a person) distress, hurt, grief, anxiety, etc
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informal to annoy; irritate
Related Words
Pain , ache , agony , anguish are terms for sensations causing suffering or torment. Pain and ache usually refer to physical sensations (except heartache ); agony and anguish may be physical or mental. Pain suggests a sudden sharp twinge: a pain in one's ankle. Ache applies to a continuous pain, whether acute or dull: headache; muscular aches. Agony implies a continuous, excruciating, scarcely endurable pain: in agony from a wound. Anguish suggests not only extreme and long-continued pain, but also a feeling of despair. See care.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pain
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English peine “punishment, torture, pain,” from Old French, from Latin poena “penalty, pain,” from Greek poinḗ “penalty”
Explanation
If you feel pain, you feel acute physical or emotional discomfort. A sprained ankle will pain you. So will news of a loved one's death. If you "take pain" over something, it means you're being careful. An annoying person can be described as a pain––it's understood that they don't cause you actual physical pain, but cause you emotional discomfort and distress. You can also describe this person as a "pain in the neck," "a pain in the butt," or "a royal pain."
Vocabulary lists containing pain
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Scientists are increasingly viewing this process as a natural support system that may play a role in conditions ranging from obesity and cancer to stroke and chronic pain.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2026
You cannot take the pain out of writing, but you can lessen some of the grunt work and redirect your energy, and despair, elsewhere.
From Slate • May 24, 2026
Gasoline will be a pain point for travelers this Memorial Day weekend.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
"The region and the entire country share the fate of these people and the pain of their families," he said on Telegram.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
Now that he was still he could feel the throbbing pain in his shoulder.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
