painfully

adverb

as in bitterly
with feelings of bitterness or grief painfully she recounted the difficult relationship she had with her mother

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of painfully Argentina’s race for a second consecutive World Cup title ended painfully this summer, with Spain beating Lionel Messi and the defending champions 1-0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium. — Asli Pelit, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Bethany, whose interactions with Anna thus far have been painfully awkward and obliviously rude, decides to confide in the ranger. — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Such a move would mark a significant expansion of Moscow and Pyongyang’s military cooperation and comes as Ukraine is running painfully short of air defenses. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Unintentionally, and no doubt painfully, the British royal family has, in modern times, increasingly become a high-profile mirror of its subjects. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Their songs confronted rape culture, body shaming and the politics of gender while making room for queerness, friendship and collective strength — subjects that, as the band now sees it, remain painfully current. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026 But at least their mediocrity has been entirely, painfully, and honestly earned. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026 The numbers behind the nationwide blood shortage have become painfully personal for a New Hampshire woman. — Tammy Mutasa, CBS News, 15 Aug. 2026 Hathaway effortlessly carries the film’s pathos, building a home in a very human (and painfully relatable) character. — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for painfully
  1. bitterly
  2. sadly
  3. sorrowfully
  4. hard
  5. mournfully
Adverb
  • District 4 The District 4 race between Sharry Kimmel, of Parkland, and Nicole Morst, of Coral Springs, has turned into one of the most bitterly contested, with both candidates questioning the honesty of their opponent.
    — Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Many clergy bitterly opposed the handover of the villages and criticized Pashinyan, who came to power in the South Caucasus nation amid a wave of hopeful, pro-democracy protests that swept Armenia in 2018.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of bitterly
Adverb
  • Heavy oils and butters Natural-hair routines can lean hard on oils, and sadly, that may work against you.
    — Ayren Jackson-Cannady, Allure, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Despite being predators, these individuals are sadly no match for humans.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of sadly
Adverb
  • Tarun would tease her, and my mother would look sorrowfully toward Kavitha, as if the two of them now shared some womanly burden.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Nov. 2025
Definition of sorrowfully
Adverb
  • Miroshnichenko competes hard and doesn’t shy from physical play.
    — Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Now, rising protectionism and inflation have made growth harder for global e-commerce platforms.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of hard
Adverb
  • Mayfield watched mournfully in his kitchen while the rest of the family sat in the living room with the big screen next to a Christmas tree.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • So is the moment early in the film when Mary mournfully looks on as her long-ago home faces demolition to make room for a big, featureless residential complex.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2026
Definition of mournfully

Browse Nearby Words

painful
painfully
paining
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Cite this Entry

“Painfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/painfully. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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