painful
adjective
1. causing physical or psychological pain
- worked with painful slowness
Similar word(s): harmful, inhumane, aching, achy, agonised, agonized, agonising, agonizing, excruciating, harrowing, torturesome, torturing, torturous, biting, bitter, chafed, galled, poignant, itchy, racking, wrenching, raw, sensitive, sore, tender, traumatic
2. causing misery or pain or distress
- the painful process of growing up
Similar word(s): unpleasant, afflictive, sore
3. exceptionally bad or displeasing
- a painful performance
Similar word(s): bad, abominable, atrocious, awful, dreadful, terrible, unspeakable
4. causing physical discomfort
- bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful
Similar word(s): uncomfortable, irritating