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Painful

//ˈpeɪn.fl̩// adj, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental.

    "In a 2008 case report from India, doctors described removing a giant tonsillolith that was making it painful for a young patient to swallow."

  2. 2
    Afflicted or suffering with pain (of a body part or, formerly, of a person).
  3. 3
    Requiring effort or labor; difficult, laborious.
  4. 4
    Painstaking; careful; industrious. archaic

    "The men bestow their times in fishing, hunting, warres, and such manlike exercises, scorning to be seene in any woman-like exercise, which is the cause that the women be very painefull, and the men often idle."

  5. 5
    Very bad, poor. informal

    "His violin playing is painful."

Adjective
  1. 1
    causing physical discomfort wordnet
  2. 2
    exceptionally bad or displeasing wordnet
  3. 3
    causing physical or psychological pain wordnet
  4. 4
    causing misery or pain or distress wordnet

Etymology

From Middle English paynful, peinful, peynful, paynefull, peynefull, equivalent to pain + -ful. Compare Danish pinefuld (“painful”).

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