5 days ago · The meaning of PAINFUL is feeling or giving pain. How to use painful in a sentence. causing emotional or physical pain: 2. If something is painful to watch or listen to, it is so…. painful synonyms, painful pronunciation, painful translation, English dictionary definition of painful. Full of or giving pain: a painful shoulder; painful walking. Definition of painful in the Definitions.net dictionary. What does painful mean? Information and translations of painful in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on … If something such as an illness, injury, or operation is painful, it causes you a lot of physical pain. ...a painful back injury. Sunburn is painful and potentially dangerous. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026 pain•ful (pān′ fəl), adj. affected with, causing, or characterized by pain: a painful wound; a painful night; a painful … PAINFUL definition: affected with, causing, or characterized by pain. See examples of painful used in a sentence. It'll be a slow, painful death.