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Definition of painful : 1. causing physical discomfort; " bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful"
2. Full of pain; causing uneasiness or distress, either physical or mental; afflictive; disquieting; distressing.
3. Painstaking; careful; industrious.
4. Requiring labor or toil; difficult; executed with laborious effort; as a painful service; a painful march.

Synonyms:

plaguy, unpalatable, upsetting, afflicting, embarrassing, dire, monstrous, dread, bad, chapped, ignominious, burning, distasteful, embarrassed, teasing, humiliating, nettlesome, indefinable, huffy, torturesome, comfortable, awful, saddle-sore, nasty, horrible, ugly, caustic, traumatic, shameful, afflictive, chronic, sensitive, like, sharp, galling, dismal, racking, unutterable, dreaded, awing, unnameable, harsh, terrible, vexing, awesome, sad, chafed, extreme, achy, horrifying, indescribable, wicked, agonised, irritated, guilty, amazing, fearsome, inflamed, tragic, pesky, frightening, irritable, burned, untellable, plaguey, frightful, angry, worrying, healthy, unhappy, torturous, awed, vexatious, raw, agonized, distressing, mad, irritative, awe-inspiring, heartbreaking, undignified, execrable, detestable, indigestible, dreadful, pestering, abominable, pain, galled, crippling, horrific, tremendous, heartrending, flagitious, pestiferous, direful, atrocious, disturbing, awkward, fearful, poignant, nagging, unfortunate, agonising, unspeakable, tender, depressing, ineffable, hurting

disagreeable, uncomfortable, anguishing, horrendous, acute, besetting, bothersome, hurtful, wrenching, smarting, gnawing, miserable, insufferable, offensive, odious, cramping, bitter, excruciating, aggravating, tormenting, torturing, troublesome, withering, biting, severe, cruel, annoying, aching, woeful, piercing, grievous, irksome, unbearable, trying, sore, oppressive, harrowing, arduous, irritating, throbbing, stabbing, crushing, burdensome, agonizing, chafing, stinging, unpleasant, cutting, distressful, grueling, inflaming

Usage examples:

• The scene which followed was very painful." - "Paul Patoff", F. Marion Crawford.
• " Mother dear, don't give us something so painful to remember. - "Jewel A Chapter In Her Life", Clara Louise Burnham.
• You admit that your feelings would have been painful. - "The Complete Project Gutenberg Works of George Meredith", George Meredith.