Bodily or emotional suffering, with related uses for irritation, careful effort, childbirth contractions, formal penalties, and the act of causing distress.
The painful contractions that happen during childbirth, used in the plural.
Usage
Use pains for childbirth contractions in medical or older everyday phrasing, usually with labor understood from context.
Examples
Her pains began shortly before dawn.
The midwife timed the pains through the night.
Strong pains came every five minutes.
She breathed slowly as the pains intensified.
The doctor asked when the first pains had started.
Between the pains, she rested quietly.
The pains signaled that labor was progressing.
Common mistakes
The ordinary singular pain is substituted for the plural childbirth term.
Incorrect
Correct
Her pain began five minutes apart.
Her pains began five minutes apart.
The midwife timed each pain.
The midwife timed each contraction.
The pains was stronger.
The pains were stronger.
She had labor pain in the office.
She had labor pains in the hospital.
Similar words
contractions
labor
throes
pangs
birth pangs
Punishment or penalty
noun
legal
formal
A threatened punishment attached to breaking a rule, now mostly found in formal phrases such as on pain of.
Usage
Use pain in this sense only in formal legal, historical, or ceremonial wording, especially on pain of death or on pain of a fine.
Examples
The order forbade entry on pain of a fine.
Soldiers were told to remain silent on pain of punishment.
The law required payment on pain of seizure.
The notice warned against trespass on pain of prosecution.
The contract demanded secrecy on pain of dismissal.
The decree imposed obedience on pain of imprisonment.
Visitors were barred from touching the artifacts on pain of removal.
Common mistakes
The formal phrase is misread as ordinary hurt or built with the wrong preposition.
Incorrect
Correct
The rule applies in pain of a fine.
The rule applies on pain of a fine.
They entered on pain from prosecution.
They entered on pain of prosecution.
On pain of death means with severe body pain.
On pain of death means under threat of death.
The notice gave pain of removal.
The notice warned on pain of removal.
Similar words
punishment
penalty
forfeit
sanction
retribution
sentence
fine
cost
Cause distress
verb
emotion
formal
To make someone feel physical hurt, sadness, or distress.
Usage
Use pain as a formal verb when something hurts someone emotionally or, less often, physically.
Examples
It pains me to see the house empty.
His cruel remark pained her more than he knew.
The decision still pains everyone involved.
It pained him to admit the plan had failed.
The memory pains her whenever it returns.
Your silence pains the people who care about you.
The story pained readers across the country.
Common mistakes
The regular verb ending is dropped, and the verb is used where hurt sounds more natural.
Incorrect
Correct
It pain me to leave.
It pains me to leave.
The news pain her deeply.
The news pains her deeply.
I pain my knee on the stairs.
I hurt my knee on the stairs.
His words pained to her.
His words pained her.
Similar words
hurt
distress
grieve
wound
trouble
afflict
sadden
upset
Usage
Use pain for hurt or suffering, a pain for an annoyance, pains for careful effort or labor contractions, and pain as a formal verb for causing distress.
Common mistakes
A missing article gives this form is pain instead of this form is a pain, while the fixed plural gives take pains, not take pain.
Etymology
From Middle English peine or payne, from Anglo-French and Old French peine, from Latin poena meaning penalty, punishment, or suffering, ultimately from Greek poinē meaning payment or penalty.
FAQ
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