painfulness
/ˈpān-fəl How to pronounce painful (audio)/ (ame, mw)
painfulness — adjective
- painfulnesspositive
- more painfulnesscomparative
- most painfulnesssuperlative
1. causing a hurt or uncomfortable feeling in a part of the body, so that you suffe
causing a hurt or uncomfortable feeling in a part of the body, so that you suffer or feel distress
Caio's knee was still painful three weeks after he fell off his bicycle.
painful + body part describing injury
When the nurse touched the wound, it was so painful Linh bit her lip.
passive: [body part] + was + painful
A painful rash spread across Tara's arms after she touched the poison ivy.
William's ankle became painfully swollen after he twisted it playing basketball.
- painless
causing no physical discomfort at all
用法筆記
This sense describes a physical sensation. The subject is typically a body part or a medical condition. Do not use this sense for emotional hurt — see sense 2 for that.
常見錯誤
2. causing feelings of irritation, annoyance, or mental discomfort; unpleasant in a
causing feelings of irritation, annoyance, or mental discomfort; unpleasant in a way that makes you want it to stop
It was painful to watch Noor struggle with the same computer error for an hour.
it is painful to [do something] — describing an unpleasant experience
The awkward silence after his joke was painful, and everyone looked at their plates.
painful + social situation describing interpersonal awkwardness
Lan found her neighbour's constant phone conversations painfully loud through the thin walls.
There was a painful silence after Wren accidentally mentioned Tomás's ex-girlfriend at dinner.
- irritating
slightly milder; focuses on the feeling of being bothered
- excruciating
much stronger; suggests extreme annoyance or discomfort
- unbearable
suggests the situation is so bad you cannot continue
- pleasant
giving a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction
文法句型
it is painful to [do something]
用法筆記
Often used with an infinitive clause (it is painful to watch/listen/hear) or with painfully + adjective to intensify a negative quality. Unlike sense 1, this does not refer to physical pain.
常見錯誤
3. requiring a great deal of physical or mental effort over a long period; difficul
requiring a great deal of physical or mental effort over a long period; difficult and tiring to do
Restoring the farmhouse was a painful process for Ilan and his father.
painful + process/task — emphasises the effort required
Tanvi's research progressed painfully slowly since every source was in French.
painfully + adjective (painfully slow progress)
Learning classical Chinese characters was a painful task for the first-year students.
Mei spent a painful afternoon struggling to assemble the bookshelf from a poorly translated manual.
- effortless
requiring no physical or mental exertion
用法筆記
This sense applies to tasks, processes, journeys, climbs, or sustained efforts. The 'pain' here is the exertion and difficulty over time, not emotional irritation. Often used with "process", "task", "climb", "progress" or paired with "painfully" before adjectives describing slowness or difficulty ("painfully slow", "painfully difficult").
常見錯誤
4. done with extremely careful and thorough attention to every small detail, often
done with extremely careful and thorough attention to every small detail, often to the point of being overly exact
The editor gave the manuscript a painful revision, catching every misplaced comma and awkward phrase.
painful + revision / examination — used to describe thorough effort
Luca's painful attention to the grain direction made the wooden tabletop almost perfectly smooth.
painful + attention to [detail] — the most common pattern for this sense
The jeweller examined the diamond with painful care, noting every tiny flaw.
Joanna's painful scrutiny of the contract revealed a hidden clause that saved the company thousands.
- meticulous
more common; similar meaning but less intense
- painstaking
the closest synonym; emphasises careful effort
- thorough
broader; does not carry the 'extreme effort' flavour
- careless
not giving enough attention or thought
文法句型
painful + attention / care / examination
用法筆記
This sense is formal and almost always appears before nouns like "care", "attention", "examination", or "scrutiny". It does not mean the person is literally in pain — it means the level of care is so thorough that it seems to cost great effort.