pains
Britishplural noun
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care, trouble, or effort (esp in the phrases take pains, be at pains to )
-
painful sensations experienced during contractions in childbirth; labour pains
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 she is at pains not to compare herself to her rivals in this race, Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan, and Senegal's Macky Sall.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said while the holiday and airline industry "is at pains to stress there are no current fuel shortages....consumers are getting jittery".
From BBC • May 13, 2026
Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion took pains to clarify that the court was not reversing Allen v.
From Slate • May 12, 2026
Still, the growing pains show how investment banks are seeing mixed results as they look to cut costs and adapt how they hire young professionals out of college.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
They were men and women like them, with straight hair and dark skin, who spoke the same language and complained of the same pains.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
