WordWeb Online

1. Causing physical or psychological pain
   "worked with painful slowness"
    
2. Causing misery or pain or distress
   "the painful process of growing up"
   - afflictive, sore
    
3. Exceptionally bad or displeasing
   "a painful performance"
   - atrocious, abominable, awful, dreadful, terrible, unspeakable
    
4. Causing physical discomfort
   "bites of black flies are more than irritating; they can be very painful"
   - irritating

See also: aching, achy, agonised [Brit], agonising [Brit], agonized, agonizing, bad, biting, bitter, chafed, excruciating, galled, harmful, harrowing, inhumane, itchy, painfully, painfulness, poignant, racking, raw, saddle-sore, sensitive, sore, tender, torturesome, torturing, torturous, traumatic, uncomfortable, unpleasant, wrenching

Antonym: painless

Encyclopedia: Painful