pains

pain  (pn)

n.

1. An unpleasant sensation occurring in varying degrees of severity as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder.

2. Suffering or distress.

3. pains The pangs of childbirth.

4. pains Great care or effort: take pains with one's work.

5. Informal A source of annoyance; a nuisance.

v. pained, pain·ing, pains

v.tr.

To cause pain to; hurt or injure.

v.intr.

To be the cause of pain.

Idiom:

on/under pain of

Subject to the penalty of (a specified punishment, such as death).

---

[Middle English, from Old French peine, from Latin poena, penalty, pain, from Greek poin, penalty; see k^wei-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

Synonyms: pain, ache, pang, smart, stitch, throe, twinge
These nouns denote a sensation of severe physical discomfort: abdominal pain; aches in my leg; the pangs of a cramped muscle; aspirin that alleviated the smart; a stitch in my side; the throes of dying; a twinge of arthritis.

---

pains [peɪnz]

pl n

1. care, trouble, or effort (esp in the phrases take pains, be at pains to)

2. painful sensations experienced during contractions in childbirth; labour pains

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

pains - an effortful attempt to attain a goal nisus, striving, strain attempt, effort, try, endeavor, endeavour - earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something; "made an effort to cover all the reading material"; "wished him luck in his endeavor"; "she gave it a good try" jehad, jihad - a holy struggle or striving by a Muslim for a moral or spiritual or political goal