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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of pain
Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
Others, like the European Union, will attempt to hit America's economic jugular, hoping the economic pain will somehow bring Trump to the table.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Granted, a day of giving thanks can seem a stretch to those pained by the year’s conflicts.
—Michael Morris, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pain
Noun
However, these promises gloss over the pain expected for U.S. consumers, who economists believe will end up paying higher prices.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025
Others, like the European Union, will attempt to hit America's economic jugular, hoping the economic pain will somehow bring Trump to the table.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
Fans of football surely are both thrilled and pained at this matchup.
—Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Granted, a day of giving thanks can seem a stretch to those pained by the year’s conflicts.
—Michael Morris, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pain
Noun
-
Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache and muscle aches, followed by coughing and shortness of breath.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2025
-
Saatva Zenhaven latex mattress: on sale for $2,749 Original price: $3,399 Dealing with back aches?—
Christopher Murray,
Fox News,
14 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
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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
-
Opponents warn the ban will disproportionately affect low-income residents who may rely on public drinking water having fluoride as their only source of preventative dental care.—
Matthew Brown and Hannah Schoenbaum,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Even so, gender-affirming care, including surgery, is medically necessary.—
James Factora,
Them.,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
After the equivalent of four days of work, the stadium was ready for the new tenant.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
He was seen most recently at the Bari International Film & TV Festival in southern Italy in March for a retrospective of his work.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In a meeting that month which Dahl recorded, Turner referred to Williams as a nuisance who had already been dealt with.—
Ronan Farrow,
The New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2025
-
However, residents argue that the alligator, who had been sunning beside a pond on the property for more than a decade, was not a nuisance but that his fate was in fact decided by the new management, who thought the wild animal posed a risk to residents.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA TODAY,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Trump's most expansive tariffs to date and larger than most experts expected ‒ could further hurt a weakening economy, send the stock market plummeting and even lead to a recession.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
-
With big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis out in addition to Jrue Holiday, Kornet’s three first-half fouls hurt the most.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Every day brings a sigh of relief and a pang of nostalgia.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Rosie O'Donnell encourages Americans to 'protect your sanity' Although the Emmy-winning host has been enjoying the warm reception from her Irish neighbors, O'Donnell also shared the pangs of homesickness she's been experiencing.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Another video showed a woman wailing in agony over one of the victims.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA TODAY,
22 Mar. 2025
-
On a nation’s struggle and agony; the nature of democracy; Trump vs. Canada; and more On Monday, next to the Hudson River in New York, there was a demonstration.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pain. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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