Synonyms of painfully

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

• bitterly
• sadly
• sorrowfully
• hard
• mournfully
• agonizingly
• sharply
• woefully
• harshly
• unhappily
• grievously
• regretfully
• wretchedly
• lugubriously
• ruefully
• dolorously
• resentfully
• severely
• dolefully
• sorely
• inconsolably
• plaintively
• wailfully
• hardly
• distressingly
• miserably
• abjectly
• despairingly
• dismally
• cheerlessly
• drearily
• acutely
• dispiritedly
• dejectedly
• distressfully
• darkly
• poignantly
• somberly
• joylessly
• disconsolately
• despondently
• cruelly
• forlornly
• glumly
• morosely
• sullenly
• blackly
• keenly
• pessimistically
• piercingly
• dourly
• gloomily
• mirthlessly
• hurtfully
• downheartedly
• ill
• crestfallenly
• low-spiritedly
• rancorously

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blissfully
• happily
• joyfully
• joyously
• gladly
• cheerfully
• gleefully
• easily
• merrily
• delightedly
• cheerily
• lightly
• lightheartedly
• casually
• calmly
• gaily
• stoically
• blithely
• indifferently
• dispassionately
• nonchalantly
• unconcernedly
• impassively
• well
• sunnily
• mirthfully
• favorably
• good-naturedly
• rejoicingly
• blithesomely

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of painfully

For the past three decades, defense procurement was a stagnant oligopoly dominated by a handful of massive legacy prime contractors and painfully slow cost-plus research-and-development cycles. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Life opened like a zipper, separating them painfully at first, notch by notch, then faster, wider, until the garment lay split in two. — Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026

The authors are also painfully aware that most audiences have less of an appetite for reading, period. — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

When Jane Fonda hit the Oscars stage with a silver pixie cut in 2020, jaws dropped, heads turned and every woman painfully growing out their grays had instant hair envy. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026

The Wildcats have had two painfully close defeats, falling 24-23 to Tuskegee before losing 34-33 in overtime to unbeaten Benedict. — Wilton Jackson, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026

On Standby follows Sagit, a 33-year-old airport security screener whose brutally honest view of the world and chaotic personal life turn even the most ordinary interactions into painfully funny disasters. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Using the color barrier in American baseball as a narrative bridge to the challenges facing a fictional English women's soccer team felt painfully forced and over-the-top. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026

While inflation continues to be painfully high, Friday's data came in close to what economists expected and traders were prepared for. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026