► painthe feeling you have when part of your body hurts: An ear infection can cause a lot of pain. He felt a sharp pain in his leg.
► ache pain that continues without stopping, especially one that is not very bad: Josh had a dull ache in his back from moving boxes all day.
► soreness pain in a part of your body that you have used too much or that is infected: When you exercise, your muscles produce lactic acid, and it is this that causes muscle soreness.
► tenderness pain that you feel in a part of your body when it is touched, because it is injured or infected: The medication will help with the swelling and tenderness in your foot.
► twinge a pain that only lasts a short time: Carla felt a twinge in her back as she bent over.
► discomfort formal slight painful or unpleasant feelings in your body: Women who are eight or nine months pregnant often suffer discomfort that prevents them from sleeping.
► throbbing a pain or pressure that comes and goes away in a regular pattern, like the beating of your heart: The throbbing in his ankle was getting slightly better.
► suffering a long period of mental or physical pain that does not go away: When an animal is so sick that it cannot get better, it is best to let it die and end its suffering.
► agony extremely bad pain: During the Civil War, many patients had to suffer through the agony of surgery without anesthetic.