Meaning
- Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental.
- Afflicted or suffering with pain (of a body part or, formerly, of a person).
- Requiring effort or labor; difficult, laborious.
- Painstaking; careful; industrious.
- (informal) Very bad, poor.
Synonyms
poignant
troublous
be painful
causing pain
burning sensation
causing trouble
ihjurious
inflicting wounds
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈpeɪn.fəl/
Etymology
In summary
From Middle English paynful, peinful, peynful, paynefull, peynefull, equivalent to pain + -ful. Compare Danish pinefuld (“painful”).
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Notes