pains
Britishplural noun
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care, trouble, or effort (esp in the phrases take pains, be at pains to )
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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.
"Part-way through the game, he came into the clubhouse, saying he had chest pains," says Catriona.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
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 personal is political, as the feminist rallying cry has it, and Wohl has taken pains never to lose sight of this insight when imagining the complexities of the lives of others,” McNulty wrote.
From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026
It pains me the most to say goodbye to Teresita, and to have to leave her.
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.
