Painfully: meaning, definitions and examples

This word is used when something causes physical or emotional pain. It is generally neutral and doesn't imply extreme suffering.

• He walked painfully on his injured foot.
• It was painfully obvious that she didn't enjoy the party.

This word is used when someone's emotion is filled with deep sadness or grief. It's often appropriate for describing emotional pain related to loss or disappointment.

• She looked at the old photographs sorrowfully.
• He spoke sorrowfully about his late father.

Use this word to describe something that causes extreme and prolonged physical or mental pain. It conveys a stronger sense of suffering than 'painfully'.

• She waited agonizingly for the test results.
• The process of recovery was agonizingly slow.

This word is applied when something causes extreme worry, anxiety, or despair. It's often used to describe situations or news.

• The distressingly high rate of unemployment is a concern.
• He found the news of his friend's accident distressingly upsetting.

Use this word when something causes discomfort or unease, either physically or mentally. It suggests a milder form of distress or inconvenience.

• He shifted uncomfortably in his seat during the long meeting.
• She felt uncomfortably out of place at the formal event.

Often used to describe something with an element of extreme and prolonged suffering that resembles torture. It implies both physical and mental pain.

• The journey through the desert was torturously hard.
• Waiting for her release was torturously long.