painful
gb/pˈeɪnfəl/ us/pˈeɪnfəl/
A2
Inglês
~ 9400
Aceções
0 aceções
adjective
A2
property
1
causing physical pain
Causing a strong, bad feeling in your body; making part of your body hurt.
Padrão de uso:
[something] is painful
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say "I am painful" to mean they feel pain. In English, you usually say "I am in pain," "I feel pain," or "It is painful" about the body part or action (e.g., "My back is painful" or "Walking is painful").
Sinónimos
sore (Often used for a body part that hurts in a mild or moderate way, especially after use or injury.)
|
aching (Suggests a continuous, dull kind of pain rather than a sharp one.)
|
excruciating (Much stronger than "painful"; used for extremely severe pain.)
|
agonizing (Very strong and often long-lasting physical pain, more intense than general "painful".)
Antónimos
painless (Describes a medical treatment, injury, or process that does not cause physical pain.)
|
comfortable (Suggests a pleasant, relaxed physical feeling, the opposite of physical discomfort or pain.)
Colocações
painful injury
|painful condition
|painful swelling
|painful sting
|painful burn
|painful cramps
Temas
health
|daily life
|body
Exemplos
- Walking was painful for several days after she twisted her ankle.
- The dentist warned that the next few hours might be quite painful.
- He let out a cry as the nurse cleaned the painful wound on his leg.
- I woke up with a painful stiffness in my neck and shoulders.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- My tooth is very painful today.
- It is painful to move my arm.
- The cut on his hand looks painful.
- These new shoes are painful to wear.
adjective
B1
property
2
causing emotional pain
Making you feel very sad, hurt inside, or full of emotional pain.
Padrão de uso:
[experience/event/memory] is painful
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes overuse "sad" for all negative feelings. "Painful" is stronger and is used when an event or memory feels like it hurts inside, not just makes you a little unhappy.
Sinónimos
upsetting (Softer and more general; something that makes you feel unhappy or worried, not always deeply painful.)
|
distressing (Stronger than "upsetting" and close to "painful," often used for very worrying or sad situations.)
|
traumatic (Suggests very strong, shocking emotional pain that may have long-term effects.)
Antónimos
comforting (Makes someone feel calmer, safer, or less sad, the opposite of emotional pain.)
|
pleasant (Causes positive, enjoyable feelings rather than emotional hurt.)
Colocações
painful memory
|painful experience
|painful breakup
|painful divorce
|painful reminder
|painful childhood
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|life events
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- Talking about his childhood was still too painful for him.
- The breakup was painful, but she knew it was the right decision.
- It was a painful experience to lose her job so suddenly.
- Looking at the old photos brought back painful memories of the accident.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The movie was painful for me because it reminded me of my father’s death.
- It was a painful time after he moved away.
- She has many painful memories from that year.
- Losing my best friend was very painful.
adjective
B2
property
3
socially awkward or embarrassing
Making people feel very uncomfortable or embarrassed, especially when other people are watching.
Padrão de uso:
[situation/moment] is painful
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes think "painful" in these expressions is about physical pain. In phrases like "a painful silence" or "painful to watch," it usually means socially or emotionally uncomfortable, not that your body hurts.
Sinónimos
awkward (Very common word for uncomfortable social situations; often a bit softer than "painful.")
|
embarrassing (Focuses on feeling ashamed or foolish; overlaps with "painful" when the embarrassment is strong.)
|
cringeworthy (Informal; used when something is so bad or embarrassing that you almost physically react.)
Antónimos
relaxed (Describes a calm, easy social atmosphere with no tension or embarrassment.)
|
comfortable (Indicates that people feel at ease in the situation, not tense or embarrassed.)
Colocações
painful silence
|painful pause
|painful conversation
|painful interview
|painful to watch
|painful moment
Temas
emotions
|social
|communication
|relationships
Exemplos
- There was a long, painful silence after he made the rude joke.
- Her presentation was so disorganized that it became painful to watch.
- The interview was painful, with long pauses and confusing answers.
- He tried to make small talk, but the conversation stayed painfully awkward.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- After his comment, there was a painful silence in the room.
- The show was so bad that it was painful to watch.
- The first meeting with my girlfriend’s parents was painful and very tense.
- The questions in the interview were painful for him to answer.
adjective
C1
property
4
very difficult or unpleasant process
Describes a process or change that is very hard and unpleasant to go through.
Padrão de uso:
[process/change/decision] is painful
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse this sense with simple emotional sadness. Here, "painful" highlights how hard and unpleasant the process or change is, not only that it makes you sad.
Sinónimos
arduous (Formal; focuses on the great effort and difficulty required.)
|
grueling (Emphasizes that something is extremely tiring and demanding over time.)
|
onerous (Formal; stresses that something is a heavy, unpleasant responsibility or duty.)
Antónimos
easy (Requires little effort or struggle, the opposite of a painful process.)
|
smooth (Happens without problems or difficulty, the opposite of a slow, painful change.)
Colocações
painful process
|slow and painful
|painful transition
|painful decision
|painful negotiation
|painful restructuring
Temas
work
|life events
|change
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Exemplos
- Recovering from the scandal was a long and painful process for the company.
- It was a painful decision to close the family business.
- Moving to a new country can be a painful transition at first.
- The negotiations were painful, but they finally reached an agreement.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Learning the new system was a painful process for the staff.
- Deciding to leave his job was a painful choice.
- Changing our plan was painful, but it was necessary.
- The move to a smaller house was slow and painful for them.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
painful
IPA
GB/pˈeɪnfəl/
US/pˈeɪnfəl/
Sílabas e acento
pain - ful (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (pain)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: painful
Família de palavras
Expressões
a slow and painful process
1/ə slˈoʊ ˈænd pˈeɪnfəl pɹˈɑsˌɛs/
fixed phrase
very slow, unpleasant process
A change or set of actions that takes a long time and is very hard or unpleasant.
Exemplos
- Changing the company culture was a slow and painful process.
- Healing after the accident has been a slow and painful process for her.
painful experience
1/pˈeɪnfəl ɪkspˈɪɹiəns/
fixed phrase
event causing strong pain
An event in your life that hurt you a lot, physically or emotionally.
Exemplos
- Losing his job was a painful experience that he never forgot.
- Her first surgery was a painful experience, but it helped her recover.
painful memory
1/pˈeɪnfəl mˈɛmɚi/
fixed phrase
emotionally hurtful memory
A past event that you remember and that makes you feel emotional pain.
Exemplos
- He still carries painful memories of the war.
- Talking about that day brings back painful memories.
painful reminder
1/pˈeɪnfəl ɹimˈaɪndɚ/
fixed phrase
thing that recalls a sad event
Something that makes you remember a past event that hurt you emotionally.
Exemplos
- The empty chair at the table was a painful reminder of his absence.
- The song is a painful reminder of her first breakup.
painful silence
1/pˈeɪnfəl sˈaɪləns/
fixed phrase
very awkward silence
A time when nobody speaks and the quiet feels very uncomfortable or embarrassing.
Exemplos
- After his rude comment, there was a painful silence around the table.
- The interview began with a painful silence before anyone asked a question.
painful to watch
1/pˈeɪnfəl tə wˈɔt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
very unpleasant to watch
Used when something is so bad, embarrassing, or uncomfortable that you almost feel pain when you watch it.
Exemplos
- The play was so poorly acted that it was painful to watch.
- His speech was painful to watch because he kept forgetting his lines.
painful truth
1/pˈeɪnfəl tɹˈuθ/
fixed phrase
fact that hurts to accept
A fact that is real but makes you feel bad when you accept it.
Exemplos
- It was a painful truth, but the team simply wasn’t good enough.
- Sometimes you have to face the painful truth about your own mistakes.