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Definition of Painful
1. Adjective. Causing physical or psychological pain. "Worked with painful slowness"
Similar to: Aching, Achy, Agonised, Agonized, Agonising, Agonizing, Excruciating, Harrowing, Torturesome, Torturing, Torturous, Biting, Bitter, Chafed, Galled, Poignant, Itchy, Racking, Wrenching, Saddle-sore, Raw, Sensitive, Sore, Tender, Traumatic
Derivative terms: Painfulness, Painfulness
Antonyms: Painless
2. Adjective. Causing misery or pain or distress. "The painful process of growing up"
Similar to: Unpleasant
Derivative terms: Afflict, Afflict, Painfulness, Soreness
3. Adjective. Exceptionally bad or displeasing. "An unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room"
Similar to: Bad
Derivative terms: Awfulness, Dreadfulness, Terribleness
4. Adjective. Causing physical discomfort. "Bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful"
Definition of Painful
1. a. Full of pain; causing uneasiness or distress, either physical or mental; afflictive; disquieting; distressing.
Definition of Painful
1. Adjective. Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental. (defdate from 14th c.) ¹
2. Adjective. Afflicted or suffering with pain (of a body part or, formerly, of a person). (defdate from 15th c.) ¹
3. Adjective. Requiring effort or labor; difficult, laborious. (defdate from 15th c.) ¹
4. Adjective. (rare) Painstaking; careful; industrious. (defdate from 16th c.) ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Painful
1. causing pain [adj -FULLER, -FULLEST]
Medical Definition of Painful
1. 1. Full of pain; causing uneasiness or distress, either physical or mental; afflictive; disquieting; distressing 2. Requiring labour or toil; difficult; executed with laborious effort; as a painful service; a painful march. 3. Painstaking; careful; industrious. "A very painful person, and a great clerk." (Jer. Taylor) "Nor must the painful husbandman be tired." (Dryden) Synonym: Disquieting, troublesome, afflictive, distressing, grievous, laborious, toilsome, difficult, arduous. Pain"fully, Pain"fulness. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)
Lexicographical Neighbors of Painful
Literary usage of Painful
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease by Philadelphia Neurological Society, American Neurological Association, Chicago Neurological Society, New York Neurological Association (1885)
"A CASE OF painful PARAPLEGIA—DEATH- AUTOPSY REVEALING SARCOMA OF THE VERTEBRAE.
BY GWH KEMPER, MD MUNCIE, IND. I DEEM a report of the following interesting ..."
2. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease by American Neurological Association, Philadelphia Neurological Society, Chicago Neurological Society, New York Neurological Association, Boston Society of Psychiatry and Neurology (1885)
"A CASE OF painful PARAPLEGIA—DEATH— AUTOPSY REVEALING SARCOMA OF THE VERTEBRA.
... had become painful and indurated, but could discover no involvement of ..."
3. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences by Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (U.S.) (1899)
"Kinderheilkunde, 1899, Heft 1) has used both these drugs with satisfactory results
as a local sedative in painful mouth affections of children. ..."
4. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1904)
"These first days, up to the 8th of September, when the prisoners were brought up
for a second examination, were the most painful for Pierre. ..."