pain

American  

[peyn] / peɪn /

noun

1. physical suffering or distress, as due to injury, illness, etc.

   Synonyms:

   torment, misery, torture

2. a distressing sensation in a particular part of the body.

   a back pain.

   Synonyms:

   stitch, twinge, pang, torment, misery, torture

3. mental or emotional suffering or torment.

   I am sorry my news causes you such pain.

   Synonyms:

   torment, misery, torture

   Antonyms:

   delight, joy

4. pains,

   1. laborious or careful efforts; assiduous care.

      Great pains have been taken to repair the engine perfectly.

   2. the suffering of childbirth.

5. Informal. an annoying or troublesome person or thing.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to cause physical pain to; hurt.

2. to cause (someone) mental or emotional pain; distress.

   Your sarcasm pained me.

   Synonyms:

   grieve, trouble, torment, afflict

   Antonyms:

   please

verb (used without object)

1. to have or give pain.

idioms

1. pain in the ass, pain.

2. pain in the neck, pain.

3. feel no pain, to be intoxicated.

   After all that free beer, we were feeling no pain.

4. on / upon / under pain of, liable to the penalty of.

   on pain of death.

pain British  

/ peɪn /

noun

1. the sensation of acute physical hurt or discomfort caused by injury, illness, etc

2. emotional suffering or mental distress

3. subject to the penalty of

4. Also called: pain in the neck.   pain in the arse.  informal a person or thing that is a nuisance

---

verb

1. to cause (a person) distress, hurt, grief, anxiety, etc

2. informal to annoy; irritate

pain More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing pain

• at pains
• feel no pain
• for one's pains
• growing pains
• no pain, no gain
• on pain of

---

Related Words

Pain , ache , agony , anguish are terms for sensations causing suffering or torment. Pain and ache usually refer to physical sensations (except heartache ); agony and anguish may be physical or mental. Pain suggests a sudden sharp twinge: a pain in one's ankle. Ache applies to a continuous pain, whether acute or dull: headache; muscular aches. Agony implies a continuous, excruciating, scarcely endurable pain: in agony from a wound. Anguish suggests not only extreme and long-continued pain, but also a feeling of despair. See care.

Other Word Forms

• underpain noun
• unpaining adjective

Etymology

Origin of pain

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English peine “punishment, torture, pain,” from Old French, from Latin poena “penalty, pain,” from Greek poinḗ “penalty”

Example Sentences

Gas tax prices are soaring across the U.S. — currently above $4 a gallon on average — and lawmakers are naturally looking for ways to alleviate the pain at the pump.

From MarketWatch

But there are channels through which the pain could spread.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s obviously a pain because I have to go through customs twice each way,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is certainly pain and grief involved in the Moriah Wilson story, but each such moment here is counterbalanced by another dazzling photo of the cyclist’s smiling face.

From The Wall Street Journal

No one doubts that the man lives in pain, yet before the crash he was attempting another comeback.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ache
• agony
• burn
• cramp
• discomfort
• fever
• illness
• injury
• irritation
• misery
• sickness
• soreness
• spasm
• strain
• tenderness
• torment
• trouble
• twinge
• wound