painfully
gb/pˈeɪnfəli/ us/pˈeɪnfəli/
B2
Inglês
~ 6100
Aceções
0 aceções
adverb
B2
property
1
to an extreme, often negative degree
Used with adjectives to mean ‘very, very’ in a bad or uncomfortable way, for example: painfully obvious, painfully slow, painfully shy.
Padrão de uso:
painfully [adjective]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes use ‘painfully’ with clearly positive adjectives (e.g. *painfully happy*), which sounds unusual or sarcastic in most contexts. It is usually used with negative or uncomfortable ideas (obvious, slow, shy, aware, honest, clear). Learners also sometimes say *very painfully obvious*; avoid double intensifiers and just say *painfully obvious*.
Sinónimos
extremely (A general strong intensifier; does not carry the same sense of discomfort or negativity that ‘painfully’ often suggests.)
|
terribly (Also a strong, often negative intensifier; slightly more informal and less vivid than ‘painfully’.)
|
excruciatingly (Stronger and more dramatic than ‘painfully’; suggests an almost unbearable level of discomfort or embarrassment.)
Antónimos
slightly (Shows only a small degree, the opposite of the strong degree expressed by ‘painfully’.)
|
barely (Suggests an extremely low degree or almost not at all, contrasting with the high degree in ‘painfully’.)
Colocações
painfully obvious
|painfully aware
|painfully shy
|painfully slow
|painfully clear
|painfully honest
Temas
emotions
|evaluation
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- The mistake was painfully obvious, but no one wanted to mention it.
- I’m painfully aware that I made the wrong decision.
- The movie is entertaining but painfully slow in the middle.
- She was painfully shy as a child and hated speaking in class.
- He was painfully honest in his feedback, and it hurt a little.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- The answer was painfully obvious to everyone in the room.
- She is painfully shy and does not like to talk to new people.
- The bus was painfully slow, and we were late.
- He is painfully aware of his own weaknesses.
- The truth was painfully clear after we saw the results.
adverb
B2
property
2
in a physically painful way
In a way that makes part of the body hurt.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] [verb] painfully
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes say *with pain* or *in a painful way* instead of the more natural adverb *painfully*. For example, *He walked with pain* is better expressed as *He walked painfully* or *He walked in pain*.
Sinónimos
agonizingly (Suggests very strong, often extreme physical pain; more intense than ‘painfully’.)
|
achingly (Emphasizes a steady, dull kind of pain, often weaker and less sharp than what ‘painfully’ can suggest.)
|
sorely (Can describe physical pain but is less common and often sounds more literary than ‘painfully’.)
Antónimos
painlessly (Direct opposite, emphasizing that something happens with no physical pain at all.)
|
comfortably (Suggests physical ease and lack of pain, contrasting with the discomfort in ‘painfully’.)
Colocações
move painfully
|walk painfully
|breathe painfully
|throb painfully
|ache painfully
|twist painfully
Temas
health
|body
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- He walked painfully across the room on his injured ankle.
- She stretched her arm and felt it pull painfully.
- My back throbbed painfully after lifting all those boxes.
- His shoulder twisted painfully when he fell.
- The dentist worked quickly so the procedure passed only briefly and not too painfully.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- He moved painfully because his leg was hurt.
- My head hurt painfully after the long day.
- She sat down slowly and painfully.
- His arm bent painfully when he fell.
- I could breathe, but it was painfully difficult.
adverb
C1
property
3
in an emotionally painful way
In a way that shows or brings strong emotional hurt or sadness.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] [verb] painfully
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse this emotional sense with the more general intensifier sense and use it where only degree is meant. In this sense, ‘painfully’ usually describes how an action shows or causes emotional hurt, often with verbs like smile, laugh, remember, or speak.
Sinónimos
hurtfully (Focuses more on causing emotional hurt to someone else; ‘painfully’ can describe inner feeling as well as effect on others.)
|
wrenchingly (Stronger and more literary; suggests deep, twisting emotional pain.)
|
agonizingly (Very intense emotional pain, often stronger and more dramatic than ‘painfully’ in this sense.)
Antónimos
comfortingly (Describes speech or actions that reduce emotional pain, the opposite of what ‘painfully’ describes here.)
|
pleasantly (Shows that something gives positive feelings instead of emotional pain.)
Colocações
smile painfully
|laugh painfully
|remember painfully
|speak painfully
|cry painfully
|admit painfully
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- She smiled painfully and turned away, trying not to cry.
- He spoke painfully about his childhood, choosing each word with difficulty.
- They laughed painfully at the joke, trying to hide how upset they really were.
- He is painfully reminded of his mistake every time he sees her.
- The silence after his comment stretched on painfully for everyone at the table.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- She smiled painfully when she heard the bad news.
- He talked painfully about his past.
- They laughed painfully, but they were not truly happy.
- I am painfully reminded of my failure every day.
- She listened painfully as they argued about her.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
painfully
IPA
GB/pˈeɪnfəli/
US/pˈeɪnfəli/
Sílabas e acento
pain - fully (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (pain)
Formas da palavra
Noun
- Base: painfully
- Plural: painfullies
Família de palavras
Expressões
painfully aware of
1/pˈeɪnfəli əwˈɛɹ əv/
fixed phrase
very clearly and uncomfortably aware
To know something very clearly and strongly in a way that feels bad or uncomfortable.
Exemplos
- I’m painfully aware of how much time we’ve wasted.
- She is painfully aware of her own limitations.
- They became painfully aware of the risks they were taking.
painfully honest
1/pˈeɪnfəli ˈɑnɪst/
fixed phrase
extremely honest, even if it hurts
Very, very honest in a direct way that can make people feel bad or uncomfortable.
Exemplos
- He is painfully honest, so don’t ask if you don’t want the real answer.
- Her review of the book was painfully honest but fair.
- My friend was painfully honest about my performance, and it was hard to hear.
painfully shy
1/pˈeɪnfəli ʃˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
extremely and uncomfortably shy
Very, very shy in a way that makes social situations difficult or uncomfortable.
Exemplos
- He was painfully shy in high school and hardly spoke to anyone.
- As a child she was painfully shy, but she became more confident over time.
- The boy is so painfully shy that he hides behind his mother when visitors arrive.
painfully slow
1/pˈeɪnfəli slˈoʊ/
fixed phrase
extremely and frustratingly slow
Very, very slow in a way that feels frustrating or annoying.
Exemplos
- The traffic this morning was painfully slow.
- Progress on the project has been painfully slow.
- My old laptop is now painfully slow when I try to open large files.
painfully obvious
1/pˈeɪnfəli ˈɑbviəs/
fixed phrase
extremely clear and easy to see
So clear or easy to understand that it almost feels uncomfortable or embarrassing.
Exemplos
- It was painfully obvious they had argued.
- It’s painfully obvious that they’re not ready for this project.
- Her disappointment was painfully obvious to everyone.
- Her dislike for the plan was painfully obvious to everyone in the room.
- The difference in quality between the two products is painfully obvious.