American English pronunciation

How to pronounce painful

IPA transcription: ['peɪnfəl]

Hear “painful” pronounced

['peɪnfəl]

Quality: 0.92

['peɪnfəl]

Quality: 0.92

['peɪnfəl]

Quality: 0.91

Adjective

  • causing physical or psychological pain

    “worked with painful slowness”

Adjective

  • 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”

  • causing misery or pain or distress

    “it was a sore trial to him”

    “the painful process of growing up”

  • causing physical discomfort

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