painless

American  

[peyn-lis] / ˈpeɪn lɪs /

adjective

1. without pain; causing little or no pain.

   painless dentistry; a painless cure.

2. Informal. not difficult; requiring little or no hard work or exertion.

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painless British  

adjective

1. not causing pain or distress

2. not affected by pain

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Other Word Forms

• painlessly adverb
• painlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of painless

First recorded in 1560–70; pain + -less

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

Consumer advocates have been calling for something similar to IRS Direct File for decades, pointing with exasperation to supposedly forward-thinking European countries like the Netherlands, where tax filing is automatic and painless.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

It is harmless, painless and does not affect vision.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

Correggio has not made our experience simple or painless.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

My scalp was a little bloody, but thanks to a few pokes of lidocaine, the injections were relatively painless.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

Might as well try and make this as painless as possible.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Related Words

• accessible
• clear
• effortless
• obvious
• simple
• smooth
• straightforward
• uncomplicated