Pain

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Pain, n. [OE. peine, F. peine, fr. L. poena, penalty, punishment, torment, pain; akin to Gr. poinh` penalty. Cf. Penal, Pine to languish, Punish.].

•  Punishment suffered or denounced; suffering or evil inflicted as a punishment for crime, or connected with the commission of a crime; penalty.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "We will, by way of mulct or pain, lay it upon him."  [1913 Webster]

  "Interpose, on pain of my displeasure."  [1913 Webster]

  "None shall presume to fly, under pain of death."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any uneasy sensation in animal bodies, from slight uneasiness to extreme distress or torture, proceeding from a derangement of functions, disease, or injury by violence; bodily distress; bodily suffering; an ache; a smart.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  " Pain may occur in any part of the body where sensory nerves are distributed, and it is always due to some kind of stimulation of them. The sensation is generally interpreted as originating at the peripheral end of the nerve."  [1913 Webster]
•  Specifically, the throes or travail of childbirth.  [1913 Webster]

  "She bowed herself and travailed, for her pains came upon her."  [1913 Webster]
•  Uneasiness of mind; mental distress; disquietude; anxiety; grief; solicitude; anguish. Also called mental pain.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "In rapture as in pain."  [1913 Webster]
•  See Pains, labor, effort.  [1913 Webster]

Bill of pains and penalties. See under Bill. -- To die in the pain, to be tortured to death. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Pain, v. t. [OE. peinen, OF. pener, F. peiner to fatigue. See Pain, n.].

•  To inflict suffering upon as a penalty; to punish.  Wyclif (Acts xxii. 5).  [1913 Webster]
•  To put to bodily uneasiness or anguish; to afflict with uneasy sensations of any degree of intensity; to torment; to torture; as, his dinner or his wound pained him; his stomach pained him.  [1913 Webster]

  "Excess of cold, as well as heat, pains us."  [1913 Webster]
•  To render uneasy in mind; to disquiet; to distress; to grieve; as, a child's faults pain his parents.  [1913 Webster]

  "I am pained at my very heart."  [1913 Webster]

To pain one's self, to exert or trouble one's self; to take pains; to be solicitous. [Obs.] “She pained her to do all that she might.” Chaucer.

Syn. -- To disquiet; trouble; afflict; grieve; aggrieve; distress; agonize; torment; torture.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Pain, n. & v.
--n.
1 a the range of unpleasant bodily sensations produced by illness or by harmful physical contact etc. b a particular kind or instance of this (often in pl.: suffering from stomach pains).
2 mental suffering or distress.
3 (in pl.) careful effort; trouble taken (take pains; got nothing for my pains).
4 (also pain in the neck) colloq. a troublesome person or thing; a nuisance.
--v.tr.
1 cause pain to.
2 (as pained adj.) expressing pain (a pained expression).

Idiom

in pain suffering pain. on (or under) pain of with (death etc.) as the penalty.

Etymology

ME f. OF peine f. L poena penalty

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Pain

n. An uncomfortable frame of mind that may have a physical basis in something that is being done to the body, or may be purely mental, caused by the good fortune of another.

THESAURUS

Pain

abscess, ache, aching, afflict, affliction, aggrieve, agonize, agony, ague, ail, anemia, anguish, ankylosis, annoyance, anoxia, apnea, asphyxiation, assiduousness, asthma, ataxia, atrophy, backache, barb the dart, bite, bitterness, bleakness, bleeding, blennorhea, blow, bore, bother, bruise, burn, cachexia, cachexy, castigation, chafe, chastening, chastisement, cheerlessness, chill, chills, colic, comfortlessness, condign punishment, constipation, constrain, convulse, convulsion, correction, coughing, cramp, crucify, cut, cut up, cyanosis, depress, depression, deserts, despair, diarrhea, diligence, disciplinary measures, discipline, discomfort, discomposure, dismalness, dismay, disquiet, distress, distressfulness, dizziness, dolor, drag, dreariness, dropsy, dysentery, dyspepsia, dyspnea, edema, effort, elbow grease, emaciation, excruciate, exertion, fainting, fatigue, ferule, fester, fever, fibrillation, flux, fret, gall, give pain, gnaw, grate, grief, grieve, grievousness, grind, gripe, growth, harass, harrow, headache, hemorrhage, high blood pressure, hurt, hurt the feelings, hydrops, hypertension, hypotension, icterus, indigestion, industry, inflame, inflammation, inflict pain, infliction, injure, injury, insomnia, irk, irritate, irritation, itching, jaundice, joylessness, judgment, judicial punishment, kill by inches, labor, labored breathing, lacerate, lament, lamentability, lamentation, lesion, low blood pressure, lumbago, marasmus, martyr, martyrize, misery, mourn, mournfulness, nasal discharge, nasty blow, nausea, necrosis, nemesis, nip, nuisance, ordeal, painfulness, pains, pains and punishments, pang, paralysis, passion, pathos, pay, payment, penal retribution, penalty, penology, pest, pierce, pinch, pitiability, pitiableness, pitifulness, poignancy, prick, prolong the agony, pruritus, punishment, punition, put to torture, rack, rankle, rash, rasp, regrettableness, retribution, retributive justice, rheum, rub, sadden, sadness, sclerosis, scourge, sedulousness, seizure, sharpness, shock, skin eruption, smarting, sneezing, sore, sore spot, soreness, sorrow, sorrowfulness, spasm, stab, sting, stitch, strain, stress, stress of life, stroke, suffer, suffering, tabes, tachycardia, tender spot, throes, toil, torment, torture, travail, trial, tribulation, trouble, try, tumor, tweak, twinge, twist, twist the knife, upset, upset stomach, vertigo, vexation, vomiting, wasting, well-deserved punishment, what-for, while, woe, woebegoneness, woefulness, wound, wrench, wretchedness, wring

ROGET THESAURUS

Pain

Badness

VB be hurtful, cause evil, produce evil, inflict evil, work evil, do evil, damnify, endamage, hurt, harm, injure, pain, wrong, aggrieve, oppress, persecute, trample upon, tread upon, bear hard upon, put upon, overburden, weigh down, weigh heavy on, victimize, run down, molest, maltreat, abuse, ill-use, ill-treat, buffet, bruise, scratch, maul, smite, do violence, do harm, do a mischief, stab, pierce, outrage, do mischief, make mischief, bring into trouble, destroy.

Penalty

N penalty, retribution, pain, pains and penalties, weregild, wergild, peine forte et dure, penance, the devil to pay, fine, mulct, amercement, forfeit, forfeiture, escheat, damages, deodand, sequestration, confiscation, premunire, doomage.

Pain

N mental suffering, pain, dolor, suffering, sufferance, ache, smart, passion, displeasure, dissatisfaction, discomfort, discomposure, disquiet, malaise, inquietude, uneasiness, vexation of spirit, taking, discontent, dejection, weariness, anhedonia, annoyance, irritation, worry, infliction, visitation, plague, bore, bother, botheration, stew, vexation, mortification, chagrin, esclandre, mauvais quart d'heur, care, anxiety, solicitude, trouble, trial, ordeal, fiery ordeal, shock, blow, cark, dole, fret, burden, load, concern, grief, sorrow, distress, affliction, woe, bitterness, heartache, carking cares, heavy heart, aching heart, bleeding heart, broken heart, heavy affliction, gnawing grief, unhappiness, infelicity, misery, tribulation, wretchedness, desolation, despair, extremity, prostration, depth of misery, nightmare, ephialtes, incubus, pang, anguish, agony, torture, torment, purgatory, hell upon earth, iron age, reign of terror, slough of despond, peck of troubles, ills that flesh is heir to, miseries of human life, unkindest cut of all, sufferer, victim, prey, martyr, object of compassion, wretch, shorn lamb, in pain, in a state of pain, full of pain, suffering, pained, afflicted, worried, displeased, aching, griped, sore, on the rack, in limbo, between hawk and buzzard, uncomfortable, uneasy, ill at ease, in a taking, in a way, disturbed, discontented, out of humor, weary, heavy laden, stricken, crushed, a prey to, victimized, ill-used, unfortunate, to be pitied, doomed, devoted, accursed, undone, lost, stranded, fey, unhappy, infelicitous, poor, wretched, miserable, woe-begone, cheerless, careworn, concerned, sorry, sorrowing, sorrowful, cut up, chagrined, horrified, horror-stricken, in grief, plunged in grief, a prey to grief, in tears, steeped to the lips in misery, heart-stricken, heart-broken, heart-scalded, broken-hearted, in despair, the iron entered into our soul, haeret lateri lethalis arundo, one's heart bleeding, down, thou climbing sorrow, mirth cannot move a soul in agony, nessun maggior dolere che ricordarsi del tempo fel, sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier th, the Niobe of Nations.

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

Physical Pain

N physical pain, pain, suffering, sufferance, suffrance, bodily pain, physical pain, bodily suffering, physical suffering, body pain, mental suffering, dolour, ache, aching, smart, shoot, shooting, twinge, twitch, gripe, headache, stomach ache, heartburn, angina, angina pectoris, hurt, cut, sore, soreness, discomfort, malaise, cephalalgia, earache, gout, ischiagra, lumbago, neuralgia, odontalgia, otalgia, podagra, rheumatism, sciatica, tic douloureux, toothache, tormina, torticollis, spasm, cramp, nightmare, ephialtes, crick, stitch, thrill, convulsion, throe, throb, pang, colic, kink, sharp pain, piercing pain, throbbing pain, shooting pain, sting, gnawing pain, burning pain, excruciating pain, anguish, agony, torment, torture, rack, cruciation, crucifixion, martyrdom, toad under a harrow, vivisection, in pain, in a state of pain, pained, gouty, podagric, torminous, painful, aching, sore, raw, Special Sensation (1) Touch.

VB feel pain, experience pain, suffer pain, undergo pain, suffer, ache, smart, bleed, tingle, shoot, twinge, twitch, lancinate, writhe, wince, make a wry face, sit on thorns, sit on pins and needles, give pain, inflict pain, lacerate, pain, hurt, chafe, sting, bite, gnaw, gripe, pinch, tweak, grate, gall, fret, prick, pierce, wring, convulse, torment, torture, rack, agonize, crucify, cruciate, excruciate, break on the wheel, put to the rack, flog, grate on the ear.