What is another word for painful?

Common synonyms for painful include irritating, dreadful, sore, atrocious, abominable.

What is the opposite of painful?

Antonyms of painful include pleasant, comfortable, easy, joyful, painless.

Synonyms for

Painful

Adjective / ˈpeɪnfʌl / Another word for painful — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

Causing physical or emotional pain.

Synonyms & similar words

irritating dreadful sore atrocious abominable unspeakable awful afflictive terrible painless agonizing hurting sore uncomfortable aching piercing wounding distressing harsh tender torturous excruciating unpleasant severe acute sharp bitter grievous distressing heartbreaking

Synonyms by register

Formal

agonizing excruciating distressing unpleasant

Informal

ouchy hurting ouch

Literary

dolorous woeful anguished

Antonyms

pleasant comfortable easy joyful painless soothing gratifying

Common collocations

painful experience
painful truth
painful memories
painful process
painful injury
painful lesson
painful reminder

Word family

noun pain

verb pain

adjective painful

adverb painfully

Usage note

While 'painful' primarily refers to physical suffering, it is also commonly used metaphorically to describe emotionally difficult or unpleasant situations.

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