Definitions for painful
ˈpeɪn fəlpainful

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. painfuladjective

   causing physical or psychological pain

   "worked with painful slowness"

2. afflictive, painful, soreadjective

   causing misery or pain or distress

   "it was a sore trial to him"; "the painful process of growing up"

3. atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, painful, terrible, unspeakableadjective

   exceptionally bad or displeasing

   "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room"

4. irritating, painfuladjective

   causing physical discomfort

   "bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. painfuladjective

   Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental.

2. painfuladjective

   Afflicted or suffering with pain (of a body part or, formerly, of a person).

3. painfuladjective

   Requiring effort or labor; difficult, laborious.

4. painfuladjective

   Painstaking; careful; industrious.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Painfuladjective

   Etymology: pain and full.

   1. Full of pain; miserable; beset with affliction.

   Is there yet no other way, besides
   These painful passages, how we may come
   To death. John Milton, Par. Lost, b. xi.

   2. Giving pain; afflictive.

   Evils have been more painful to us in the prospect, than by their actual pressure. Joseph Addison, Spectator.

   I am sick of this bad world!
   The day light and the sun grow painful to me. Addison.

   Long abstinence may be painful to acid constitutions, by the uneasy sensation it creates in the stomach. Arbuthnot.

   3. Difficult; requiring labour.

   The painful service,
   The extreme dangers, and the drops of blood
   Shed for my thankless country, are requited
   But with that surname. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

   When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. Psalm lxxiii. 16.

   Surat he took, and thence preventing fame,
   By quick and painful marches hither came. Dryden.

   Ev’n I, tho’ slow to touch the painful string,
   Awake from slumber, and attempt to sing. Smith.

   4. Industrious; laborious.

   To dress the vines new labour is requir’d,
   Nor must the painful husbandman be tir’d. Dryden.

   Great abilities when employed as God directs, do but make the owners of them greater and more painful servants to their neighbours: however, they are real blessings when in the hands of good men. Jonathan Swift.

Wikipedia(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. painful

   Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage." In medical diagnosis, pain is regarded as a symptom of an underlying condition. Pain motivates the individual to withdraw from damaging situations, to protect a damaged body part while it heals, and to avoid similar experiences in the future. Most pain resolves once the noxious stimulus is removed and the body has healed, but it may persist despite removal of the stimulus and apparent healing of the body. Sometimes pain arises in the absence of any detectable stimulus, damage or disease.Pain is the most common reason for physician consultation in most developed countries. It is a major symptom in many medical conditions, and can interfere with a person's quality of life and general functioning. Simple pain medications are useful in 20% to 70% of cases. Psychological factors such as social support, cognitive behavioral therapy, excitement, or distraction can affect pain's intensity or unpleasantness.In some debates regarding physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, pain has been used as an argument to permit people who are terminally ill to end their lives.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Painfuladjective

   full of pain; causing uneasiness or distress, either physical or mental; afflictive; disquieting; distressing

2. Painfuladjective

   requiring labor or toil; difficult; executed with laborious effort; as a painful service; a painful march

3. Painfuladjective

   painstaking; careful; industrious

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Painful

   Painful is the sixth studio album released in 1993 by alternative rock band Yo La Tengo. The album marked a creative shift from Yo La Tengo's previous work, blending atmospheric and ambient sounds with their famous noise jams. Painful features a much more melodic-driven Yo La Tengo in its hazy, dream-like songwriting. Two versions of the track "Big Day Coming" are present on the album and display the range of musical stylings Yo La Tengo works with; the first version features a simple organ melody accompanied by a soft bass counterpoint and Kaplan's guitar feedback echoing in the background, while the second version is a much more straightforward, shoegaze style with an accompanying organ solo towards the latter part of the song.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'painful' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4692

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'painful' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4722

3. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'painful' in Adjectives Frequency: #623

How to pronounce painful?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say painful in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of painful in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of painful in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of painful in a Sentence

1. L.F. Magister:

   Life is so painful that even when we won happiness, we suffered by imagining miss it.

2. David Aldous:

   I have been in contact with members of Mr. Lamonds’ family throughout our search efforts and know this is a very difficult and painful time for them.

3. Bernie Sanders:

   Here is somebody who put his life on the line to defend this country, a veteran, dealing with a terrible, terrible illness, and what was obviously very unsettling is when he used the word suicide, nevada Congressional was the most dramatic and painful moment of the whole town meeting.

4. Lewis Hamilton:

   Two separate incidents, both equally painful -- perhaps today more painful, we still managed to get the car up there and get some points.

5. Hilton Hotels:

   It was a very painful decade, hilton vs. the nuns was not the best public relations move.

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