This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
pain
[ peyn ]
/ peɪn /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
verb (used with object)
to cause physical pain to; hurt.
to cause (someone) mental or emotional pain; distress: Your sarcasm pained me.
verb (used without object)
to have or give pain.
OTHER WORDS FOR pain
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Idioms about pain
Origin of pain
1250–1300; Middle English peine punishment, torture, pain <Old French <Latin poena penalty, pain <Greek poinḗ penalty
synonym study for pain
1-3. 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. 4a. See care.
OTHER WORDS FROM pain
un·der·pain, nounun·pain·ing, adjectiveWords nearby pain
paillasse, paillette, paillon, pai-loo, Paimio chair, pain, Paine, pained, Painesville, Paine, Thomas, painful
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use pain in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pain
pain
/ (peɪn) /
noun
the sensation of acute physical hurt or discomfort caused by injury, illness, etc
emotional suffering or mental distress
on pain of subject to the penalty of
Also called: pain in the neck, (taboo) pain in the arse informal a person or thing that is a nuisance
verb (tr)
to cause (a person) distress, hurt, grief, anxiety, etc
informal to annoy; irritate
See also pains
Word Origin for pain
C13: from Old French peine, from Latin poena punishment, grief, from Greek poinē penalty
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with pain
pain
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.