Synonyms for painful

Synonyms for (adj) painful

Synonyms: painful, irritating

Definition: causing physical discomfort

Usage: bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful

Similar words: uncomfortable

Definition: providing or experiencing physical discomfort

Usage: an uncomfortable chair; an uncomfortable day in the hot sun


Synonyms: abominable, atrocious, awful, unspeakable, painful, terrible, dreadful

Definition: exceptionally bad or displeasing

Usage: atrocious taste; abominable workmanship; an awful voice; dreadful manners; a painful performance; terrible handwriting; an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room

Similar words: bad

Definition: having undesirable or negative qualities

Usage: a bad report card; his sloppy appearance made a bad impression; a bad little boy; clothes in bad shape; a bad cut; bad luck; the news was very bad; the reviews were bad; the pay is bad; it was a bad light for reading; the movie was a bad choice


Synonyms: painful

Definition: causing physical or psychological pain

Usage: worked with painful slowness

Similar words: aching, achy

Definition: causing a dull and steady pain

Usage: my aching head; her old achy joints


Similar words: agonised, agonized

Definition: expressing pain or agony

Usage: agonized screams


Similar words: agonising, agonizing, torturesome, torturing, torturous, harrowing, excruciating

Definition: extremely painful


Similar words: biting, bitter

Definition: causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold

Usage: bitter cold; a biting wind


Similar words: galled, chafed

Definition: painful from having the skin abraded


Similar words: poignant

Definition: keenly distressing to the mind or feelings

Usage: poignant anxiety


Similar words: itchy

Definition: causing an irritating cutaneous sensation; being affect with an itch

Usage: he had an itchy toe from the mosquito bite


Similar words: racking, wrenching

Definition: causing great physical or mental suffering

Usage: a wrenching pain


Similar words: saddle-sore

Definition: (of a rider) sore after riding a horse


Similar words: sensitive, sore, tender, raw

Definition: hurting

Usage: the tender spot on his jaw


Similar words: traumatic

Definition: psychologically painful

Usage: few experiences are more traumatic than losing a child;


Synonyms: sore, painful, afflictive

Definition: causing misery or pain or distress

Usage: it was a sore trial to him; the painful process of growing up

Similar words: unpleasant

Definition: disagreeable to the senses, to the mind, or feelings

Usage: an unpleasant personality; unpleasant repercussions; unpleasant odors


Visual thesaurus for painful