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
Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion took pains to clarify that the court was not reversing Allen v.
From Slate • May 12, 2026
The WHO and the Spanish government have been at pains to play down epidemiological comparisons between the current situation and the Covid pandemic.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Which isn’t to say the Grand Prix came without growing pains.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
It pains me to see the scroll missing its beautiful covering of velvet cloth and gemstones.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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.
