painless

[ peyn-lis ]

adjective

1. without pain; causing little or no pain:

   painless dentistry; a painless cure.

2. Informal. not difficult; requiring little or no hard work or exertion.

ˈpainless

adjective

1. not causing pain or distress
2. not affected by pain

Derived Forms

• ˈpainlessly, adverb
• ˈpainlessness, noun

Other Words From

• painless·ly adverb
• painless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of painless¹

First recorded in 1560–70; pain + -less

Example Sentences

It calls for rooting out “waste, fraud, and abuse,” that all-purpose chimera evoked by budget-cutters as a painless way of reducing costs, but which no one ever seems to accomplish.

From Los Angeles Times

“Paul’s death was instantaneous and hopefully painless. May he rest in peace.”

From Los Angeles Times

The flu vaccine is given to most children as a quick, painless spray up the nose, with no injection.

From BBC

Researchers looking for ways to put off death have found a candidate that’s free, painless, doesn’t taste bad, and won’t force you to break a sweat: Gratitude.

From Los Angeles Times

The process, for the most part, has been relatively painless.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• gentle
• innocent
• innocuous
• inoffensive
• naive
• nontoxic
• painless
• powerless
• simple