1
as in ache
a sharp unpleasant sensation usually felt in some specific part of the body
the child was crying because of a pain in her knee
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in distress
a state of great suffering of body or mind
a sprained ankle caused him great pain for a week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in care
pains plural
strict attentiveness to what one is doing
asked the movers to take pains to be sure that they didn't damage anything while moving the furniture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in work
pains plural
the active use of energy in producing a result
she was at pains to reassure us that everything would be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in nuisance
one who is obnoxiously annoying
sometimes that child, who apparently never tires of asking questions, can be such a pain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pain
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
To add some pain, the goal came right after a Rangers’ power play expired.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Guy Lodge, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
Fans of football surely are both thrilled and pained at this matchup.
—Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
This not only reduces the immediate emotional pain, but also rebuilds your internal resource pool that no longer needs to be devoted to maintaining the relationship.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
To add some pain, the goal came right after a Rangers’ power play expired.
—Peter Baugh, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
An idiosyncratic personal reckoning with the recent death of his mother that gradually expands to take in the perspectives of his kith and kin, the film has the busy, varied emotional intensity of many a family gathering: pained one minute, uproarious the next.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
Fans of football surely are both thrilled and pained at this matchup.
—Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
-
The disease moves quickly, with patients experiencing high fever, body aches, weakness, headache, a sore throat and, in some, a red, spotty rash.—
Mark Kortepeter,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The symptoms described—initial fatigue and aches, followed by high fever and a debilitating cough—were similar in several other cases mentioned by SHOT.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
At the Santa Monica test location after the rains, the level of beryllium — a metal that is toxic to fish and corals and causes respiratory distress in humans — was more than 10 times the maximum limit allowed.—
Corinne Purtill,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The result: Some doctors and hospitals have held back on treatments, waiting for the fetal heartbeat to stop or for patients to wind up in undeniable distress.—
Kavitha Surana,
ProPublica,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Even so, gender-affirming care, including surgery, is medically necessary.—
James Factora,
Them.,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Dilated eye exam: This involves using eye drops to dilate (widen) your pupils, allowing the eye care specialist to look at your retina and check for swelling and leaking blood vessels.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Their work spans both natural and built environments, and is committed to the discovery of new material and social possibilities.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Other works expressed deep concern for his country.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
On April 30th, 2022, a security guard at a local business plaza called the police to report Mary as a nuisance.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Protester Trenton Oldfield swam in front of both boats and was jailed for six months for causing a public nuisance.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Draisaitl has played three games since getting hurt against Utah on March 18.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
By the time a tooth starts hurting, the problem is usually more advanced, requiring more extensive treatment.—
Towncare Dental,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Having to walk past those luxurious, roomy, and comfortable-looking lie-flat beds in business-class on your way to economy is enough to trigger a pang of jealousy.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Mar. 2025
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As the time of iftar, the breaking of the fast, nears, a day’s worth of hunger pangs combine with jockeying among patrons desperate to get their marook loaves and rush home before the call to prayer sounds from mosque minarets.—
Kiana Hayeri,
New York Times,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
His experiences at Fuchu Prison left him with frostbite, screaming in agony, after being exposed to sub-zero temperatures during 20 days in solitary confinement.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
-
What began as a blissful afternoon in the Florida sun ended in agony when a Jeep Wrangler suddenly barreled over a man lying on the beach, police said.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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