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”
Usage examples
- Deliberations were painfully slow.
- The sting is very painful.
- Meanwhile, the book has forced him to relive painful decisions.
- The absence of painful spasms and pseudomyotonia differentiates this syndrome from Hoffmann syndrome.
- Meanwhile, the book has forced him to relive painful decisions.
- Dorian Lynskey commented about the painful rhyming of "Sunday" with "I-don't-have-to-run day.
- A steep trail is painful for our feet.
- I hope she will excuse its painful nature.
- A steep trail is painful for our feet.
- It was painful to see his Nonna with this.