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painful

Pronunciation: /ˈpeɪnfʊl, -f(ə)l/
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Definition of painful

adjective

  • (of a part of the body) affected with pain:her ankle was very painful
  • causing physical pain:a painful knock
  • causing distress or trouble:a painful experience
  • informal very bad:their attempts at reggae are painful

Derivatives

painfulness

noun

Spelling help

Remember that the ending of painful is spelled with a single l; it is made up of the word pain plus the suffix (ending) -ful.

painful in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of painful in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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