pained
Americanadjective
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hurt; injured.
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showing or expressing distress, anguish, or resentment.
a pained look in reply to a sarcastic remark.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pained
Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at pain, -ed 2
Explanation
When someone is pained, they're hurt or troubled by something. If you see a boy sitting on the ground beside a battered bicycle looking pained, you should check and make sure he's okay. A pained look on someone's face might mean that they're in physical discomfort. For example, if your sister gives a pained smile after falling hard at the roller rink, she might have bruised, twisted, or even broken something. In many other cases, a pained expression conveys mental pain. When you're deeply upset about something, it's hard to react with much more than a pained smile if your friend tries to cheer you up with bad jokes.
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.
But since the pits closed almost four decades ago, residents describe a slow and pained decline as people struggled to get well-paid, stable employment.
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
He could move with the grace of the tango aficionado he became or with the slow, pained gait of the cancer-ridden editor he played in “The Paper.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
"His visit will lift the spirits of a pained community," said Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the community's peak body.
From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026
A Father Christmas figure is pictured looking pained in the water at the foot of a rock.
From Barron's • Nov. 19, 2025
My dad moved with a pained slowness, using an aluminum walker to get himself around the house, pausing often to catch his breath.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
