pain
pain — noun
1. an unpleasant physical feeling that tells you a part of your body is hurt or sic
an unpleasant physical feeling that tells you a part of your body is hurt or sick
A sharp pain ran through Ava's ankle after the long jump.
collocation: sharp pain
Mr. Chen felt chest pain while carrying boxes up the stairs.
pattern: pain in the chest area
The pain in Hana's tooth grew worse after iced water.
After the fall, Leo was in pain but still smiling.
Nina rubbed her lower back when the pain returned at night.
- ache
usually suggests a steady pain rather than a sudden one
- soreness
often used for pain after exercise or pressure
- discomfort
weaker and less serious than pain
文法句型
pain in + body part
be in pain
feel pain
用法筆記
Often used with 'in' plus a body part, as in 'pain in my knee' or 'pain in her back'. Distinguish from sense 2, which is about feelings in the mind rather than the body.
常見錯誤
2. strong unhappiness in your mind or heart, especially after loss, shock, or worry
strong unhappiness in your mind or heart, especially after loss, shock, or worry
After the divorce, the empty apartment caused Sam and Ellie deep pain.
pattern: cause someone pain
Losing the dog left Maya with a deep pain inside.
Rafael's joke hid the pain from losing his restaurant.
Even after the show, the singer's pain stayed clear in her voice.
Writing letters helped Mei face the pain after her son's death.
文法句型
cause someone pain
feel pain after + loss
hide the pain
用法筆記
Common after words about loss, death, divorce, or betrayal. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is inner suffering, not a hurt feeling in the body.
3. someone or something that keeps annoying you or making life harder
someone or something that keeps annoying you or making life harder
That broken printer is a pain when the office is busy.
pattern: be a pain
Jake's younger cousin can be a real pain on road trips.
informal: a real pain
Filling out three forms for one pass was a pain.
Wet shoes are a pain during a full day at school.
The old gate became a pain after the lock bent.
文法句型
be a pain
a pain to + verb
a real pain
用法筆記
Very common in the pattern 'be a pain'. It usually describes an everyday problem or an irritating person, often in a mildly humorous way rather than a very serious complaint.
常見錯誤
pain — verb
1. to make someone feel sad and troubled
to make someone feel sad and troubled
It pains Maria to watch her father forget her name.
pattern: it pains someone to + verb
The photo pained Noah because his brother is no longer alive.
It pained the coach to cut Mina from the team.
Seeing the empty shop still pained Mrs. Lin after retirement.
The letter pained Eric, but he read it twice.
文法句型
it pains someone to + verb
something pains someone
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'it pains me to ...', especially when someone says something regretfully or with sympathy. Unlike the dropped physical verb use, this retained learner sense is about emotional hurt.