pain
physical suffering or distress, as due to injury, illness, etc.
a distressing sensation in a particular part of the body: a back pain.
mental or emotional suffering or torment: I am sorry my news causes you such pain.
pains,
laborious or careful efforts; assiduous care: Great pains have been taken to repair the engine perfectly.
the suffering of childbirth.
Informal. an annoying or troublesome person or thing.
to cause physical pain to; hurt.
to cause (someone) mental or emotional pain; distress: Your sarcasm pained me.
to have or give pain.
Idioms about pain
feel no pain, Informal. to be intoxicated: After all that free beer, we were feeling no pain.
on / upon / under pain of, liable to the penalty of: on pain of death.
pain in the ass, Slang: Vulgar. pain (def. 5).
pain in the neck, Informal. pain (def. 5).
Origin of pain
1synonym study For pain
Other words for pain
Opposites for pain
Other words from pain
- un·der·pain, noun
- un·pain·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pain in a sentence
Hayes, whose face had turned gray, informed Strickland he didn’t feel well — the first person he told about his pain.
A high school football coach had a heart attack during a game, but didn’t leave until it was done | Kyle Melnick | November 20, 2020 | Washington PostTry evaluating your pain on a scale of one to ten, Spinelli recommends, and keep it below a three while you work out.
One of Jalal’s customers, Janis Murphy, needs oxycodone to walk without pain.
Patients struggle to access prescription opioids after New York tax drives away suppliers | lbelanger225 | November 15, 2020 | FortuneUnless we do that, quickly, all this pain and effort will be wasted.
If we don’t vaccinate the world quickly, all our COVID efforts will be a waste | jakemeth | November 12, 2020 | FortuneEven the post-iOS-7 Yosemite update took pains to keep most things in the same place as it changed their look.
It bled little; Grettir slept well that night and three days passed without its paining him.
Grettir The Strong | UnknownCharley would have liked to have made the trip himself, but his arm was paining him so intensely that he decided to remain behind.
The Boy Chums in the Florida Jungle | Wilmer M. ElyThey said nothing except that King said he believed his left leg was broken, and it was paining him a good deal.
The Golden Boys and Their New Electric Cell | L. P. WymanAs we grew older we grew afraid of paining her with questions.
My Little Sister | Elizabeth RobinsHis right hand was bleeding vigorously and paining a good deal, but his finger was still on the trigger and Wilbur fired again.
The Boy With the U. S. Foresters | Francis Rolt-Wheeler
British Dictionary definitions for pain
/ (peɪn) /
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
to cause (a person) distress, hurt, grief, anxiety, etc
informal to annoy; irritate
Origin of pain
1- See also pains
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
In addition to the idioms beginning with pain
- pain in the neck
also see:
- at pains
- feel no pain
- for one's pains
- growing pains
- no pain, no gain
- on pain of
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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