pain

1 /peIn/ noun

1 PHYSICAL (C, U) the feeling you have when part of your body hurts: be in pain (=having a pain in part of your body): Take these tablets if you're in pain. | feel pain: We've given him an anaesthetic so he shouldn't feel any pain. | be in great pain: Her face was contorted and she was clearly in great pain. | severe pain: She started getting severe back pains and had to stay off work. | relieve pain (=stop pain): drugs to relieve the pain. | ease the pain (=reduce the pain) | a sharp pain (=one that you feel very severely, usually for a short time) | a dull pain (=one that is not very strong but which continues for a long time.) | have a pain in your chest/leg/back etc: I've got a terrible pain in my left side. | labour pains (=pain felt by women beginning to have a baby)

—see also: growing pains (1)

2 MENTAL (C, U) emotional or mental suffering, or a particular experience of this suffering: life with its pleasures and pains | cause (sb) pain/inflict pain on sb: She hated to say the words, for fear of causing pain.

3 a pain in the ass/butt AmE also pain in the arse/backside BrE spoken an impolite expression meaning someone or something extremely annoying: What's wrong with Dave? He's becoming a total pain in the ass.

4 a pain also a pain in the neck spoken someone or something that you have to do that is very annoying: My commute to work is a real pain. | He's such a pain in the neck.

5 aches and pains many small pains in various parts of your body: everyday aches and pains increase

6 take pains to do sth also take pains with/over sth to make a special effort to do something, or to be very careful in doing something: Take pains to present a smart, efficient appearance.

7 be at pains to do sth to be especially careful to do something, or try very hard to do something: Major and Clinton were clearly at pains to avoid a row.

8 for your pains used when saying that you got something, especially an unfairly small payment, as a reward for your efforts: I drive them sixty miles, and I only get a fifty-cent tip for my pains!

9 on/under pain of death at the risk of being killed as punishment: You are sworn to keep the secret, on pain of death.

2 verb (T)

1 it pains sb to do sth formal it is very difficult and upsetting for someone to have to do something: It pains me to leave you.

2 old use if a part of your body pains you, it hurts