painnoun [ C or U ]
uk/peɪn/us/peɪn/A2 a feeling of physical suffering caused by injury or illness:
Her symptoms included abdominal pain and vomiting.
Are you in (= suffering from) pain?
She was in constant pain.
These tablets should help to ease the pain.
I felt a sharp pain in my foot.
He's been suffering various aches and pains for years.
B2 emotional or mental suffering:
It's a film about the pains and pleasures of parenthood.
The parents are still in great pain over the death of their child.
More examples
- She cried out in pain as the bullet grazed her shoulder.
- He collapsed, groaning with pain.
- I felt a sharp pain and looked down to see blood pouring from my leg.
- She went to the doctor complaining of chest pains.
- Aspirin reduces pain and inflammation.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Pain & painful
- -racked
- achy
- agonizing
- cluster headache
- dodgy
- earache
- hell
- masochism
- non-ulcer stomach pain
- painful
- painfully
- rack
- racking
- shooting pains
- sore
- suffering
- tender
- throb
- torment
- wince
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Sadness and regret
Idiom(s)
on/under pain of death
a pain (in the neck)
a pain in the arse/backside
painverb [ T ]
uk/peɪn/us/peɪn/formalIf something pains you, it causes you to feel sad and upset:
[ + to infinitive ] It pains me to see animals being mistreated.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making people sad, shocked and upset
- aback
- amiss
- appal
- be laughing on the other side of your face idiom
- bite
- haunt
- hit/touch a (raw) nerve idiom
- horrify
- hurt sb's feelings idiom
- hurtful
- laugh
- mess
- nose
- shake
- take sb aback
- tear 1
- tear sb apart
- tear sb's heart out idiom
- torture
- traumatize
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