adjective
-
not causing pain or distress
-
not affected by pain
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of painless
Explanation
Anything that's painless doesn't hurt at all. A painless medical procedure (like having blood drawn) might be a little scary, but it's actually very easy. Getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist should be a painless process, although getting a filling sometimes hurts a little bit. A painless math test is simple and requires very little work or thought on your part — this is a figurative way to use painless, obviously, since no one would expect a math test to cause you physical pain, even if it's not your strongest subject.
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.
Michael Hadley, 49, a business consultant, tried one during his lunch break at Huntingdon library, describing it as "simple" and "painless to use".
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
In the end, the IUD removal was easy and relatively painless, with only brief discomfort from the injection.
From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed—and at least 12 million b/d shut in—it was a relatively painless time to make a move that would normally have been bearish for oil prices.
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
The doctor at the hospital told my wife and son that I should be put on palliative care to make my final days as painless as possible.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026
It was, in a way, his style: swift, painless, efficient.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
