pain
Americannoun
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pains
plural
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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)
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pains,
present (3rd person singular)
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pained,
past participle, past
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paining
present participle
verb (used without object)
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pains,
present (3rd person singular)
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pained,
past participle, past
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paining
present participle
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
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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painsimple
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painssimple
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have painedperfect
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has painedperfect
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am painingprogressive
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are painingprogressive
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is painingprogressive
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have been painingperfect progressive
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has been painingperfect progressive
Past
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painedsimple
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had painedperfect
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was painingprogressive
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were painingprogressive
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had been painingperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Carney's decision will also challenge the appetite among Canadians to accept some economic pain as Ottawa pushes for more US concessions.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Ideally, it’s an ongoing relationship with a doctor who can take the time to decode why, for instance, that pain in your toe might be a warning of a serious heart condition.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
Home-insurance costs have also become a pain point in St. Louis, Helbig said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
An important pain threshold has been crossed, one currency-market expert warns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
I freak myself out by googling “shin pain when running,” because a bunch of results for “shin splints” pop up.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Even when intergalactic forces take pains to make the Lantern Corps’ selection process fair, Earth’s unspoken dictates about worthiness make that impossible.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
"The club is built for the Champions League and Europa League, but I don't think the team is ready for it and it pains me to say it," he said.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
In 2021, Orbit took pains in an interview with the Guardian to share credit for “Ray of Light” with the singer herself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Is this growing pains or the wobble before the fall?
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
With infinite pains and surpassing skill she produced a wondrous tapestry on which the whole account of her wrongs was unfolded.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
"I want to give my son a dignified burial. I am deeply pained."
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
He was pained and frightened: He’d never seen such a thing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
In doing a television interview in the aftermath, Lewis Ferguson looked pained and upset.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
"We are deeply pained by the accident...which has preliminarily left more than 38 people injured and 3 dead," Popayan mayor Juan Carlos Munoz wrote on X.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
Celia pointed in the general direction of the bathrooms, a pained smile on her face.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
A second person said: "The bolt challenge is paining me because it’s innocent and hardworking people on both sides that are suffering for the wickedness and thoughtlessness of other people. Really unfair."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2024
“She can feel pain, and she starts crying, saying, ‘It is here and it is rising and it is paining here and here.'”
From Seattle Times ● May 11, 2024
“Oh, it was a hurting, paining feeling going through my heart to know that something like that would happen on this street.”
From Fox News ● Aug. 10, 2019
Your silhouette appears on the paining, sometimes surrounded by a glowing aura.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2019
Tica massaged her back, which was clearly paining her.
From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis
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.
