Pain'ful, a.

a. 1. Full of pain; occasioning uneasiness or distress, either physical or mental; afflictive; disquieting; distressing.

Evils have been more painful to us in the prospect than in the actual pressure. Addison.

2Sense 2. Requiring labor or toil; difficult; executed with laborious effort; as, a painful service; the army had a painful march.

3Sense 3. Laborious; undergoing toil; painstaking; careful; industrious. [Obs.] “The painful preacher of St. Peter’s.” Fuller. “Nor must the painful husbandman be tired.” Dryden.

Tostatus Ambulensis was a very painful person, and a great clerk. Bp. Taylor.

Synonyms—Disquieting; troublesome; afflictive; distressing; grievous; laborious; toilsome; difficult; arduous.