Collocation Dictionary

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Common collocations with painful in American Collocation

painful adjective

US /ˈpeɪnf(ə)l/

very

acutely
agonizingly
exceedingly
excruciatingly
extremely
incredibly
intensely
terribly
too
unbearably
very

Parents have recognised that embarrassment is excruciatingly painful for adolescents.

rather

quite
rather

That was the best team I have ever swam with and it was rather painful to lose.

in a particular way

emotionally

While paranoia can be treated by analysis, it is a difficult and emotionally painful process.

incident

dilemma
episode
ordeal
shock

Nobody wants to prolong the painful ordeal of a divorce.

memory

memory
recollection
reminder

Some painful recollection had stolen across his mind, and driven him into silence.

feeling

emotion
feeling

He learned to welcome his painful feelings during meditation.

be
prove
seem

Perhaps things that once brought her pleasure now seem painful.