From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpainpain1 /peɪn/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]PAIN the feeling you have when part of your body hurts The pain is getting worse.pain in She felt a sharp pain in her leg. Greg was in a lot of pain. → growing pains(2)2 [countable, uncountable]SUFFER the feeling of unhappiness you have when you are sad, upset etc the pain and grief of bereavementcause (somebody) pain/inflict pain on somebody She hated to say the words, for fear of causing pain.3 → be a pain (in the neck)4 → take/go to (great) pains to do something5 → be at pains to do something6 → for your pains7 → no pain, no gain8 → on/under pain of deathCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesbadLater that evening, the pain was really bad.terrible/awfulI woke up with a terrible pain in my side.severe/intenseEver since the accident, Mike’s suffered from severe back pain.excruciating (=very severe)The pain in my eye was excruciating.a sharp pain (=short but severe)She felt a sharp pain in the back of her throat.a slight pain (=not severe)I’ve got a slight pain in my side.a dull pain (=a slight but continuous pain)There was a dull pain in his lower jaw.a nagging pain (=felt all the time)Rob felt fine, apart from a nagging pain in his left wrist.chronic pain (=pain that you suffer from for long periods of time)Many of the elderly patients suffer chronic pain.a shooting pain (=a severe pain that goes from one part of your body to another)The shooting pains in her arms and legs slowly began to die away.a searing pain (=very severe, as if you have been burnt)His elbow struck the side of the table, sending a searing pain through his arm.a stabbing pain (=sharp and sudden)Marcus heard a shot and felt a stabbing pain at the back of his ankle.a throbbing pain (=a pain that gets stronger and then weaker, in a steady continuous beat)I’ve still got this throbbing pain in my leg.back/chest/stomach etc painMany people suffer from back pain.abdominal painSeveral of the hotel’s guests had persistent abdominal pain and diarrhoea.physical painHe couldn’t stand physical pain.labour pains British English, labor pains American English (=felt by a woman at the time she is having a baby)Becky was at work when labour pains began.verbshave a painI’ve got a terrible pain in my stomach.feel painThe dentist told me that I wouldn’t feel any pain.be in painDespite being in great pain, he managed to call for help.suffer (from) painShe suffers from chronic pain in her legs.inflict painThe guards enjoyed inflicting pain on them.relieve/ease pain (also alleviate pain formal) (=make it less severe)Exercise can help to relieve lower back pain.experience pain formalAnimals caught in the trap experience great pain before they die.complain of pain (=say that you have a pain in a part of your body)After we finished our run, Tom complained of pains in his chest.the pain gets worseIf the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.the pain goes away (also the pain subsides formal) (=becomes less severe)He lay still until the pain had subsided to a dull ache.the pain comes and goes (=keeps starting and stopping)The pain comes and goes but it’s never too severe.pain + NOUNpain relief (=a drug or treatment that makes pain less severe)These drugs offer effective pain relief for the very sick.somebody’s pain threshold (=their ability to bear pain)Everyone has a different pain threshold.phrasesaches and painsEveryone has a few aches and pains when they get older.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘big pain’. Say terrible pain or severe pain. THESAURUSpain noun [countable, uncountable] the feeling when part of your body hurtsA broken leg can cause a lot of pain.He felt a sharp pain in his chest.ache noun [countable, uncountable] a continuous pain, especially one that is not very bad. Most commonly used in compounds such as headache, toothache, and backacheI felt an ache in my back after decorating all day.Driving gives me a headache.I’ve got stomach ache.Do you have earache?twinge noun [countable] a sudden slight pain that comes and then disappears quicklyWhen I bent down I felt a twinge in my back.discomfort noun [uncountable] formal an uncomfortable feeling in your body, or a slight painThe procedure takes five minutes and only causes slight discomfort.agony noun [uncountable] a feeling of great pain, or a situation in which you feel a lot of painthe agony of childbirthI was in agony by the time I got to the hospital.It was agony (=very painful)getting up out of bed.suffering noun [uncountable] continuous physical or mental pain, which makes someone very unhappyI just wanted someone to put an end to my suffering.the suffering of the earthquake victims
Examples from the Corpus
pain• They simply tell us that some one has some very specific desires, aches and pains.• In college, Durban began to suffer from headches and pain in his arms and legs• the pleasures and pains of trying to earn money as a writer• You won't feel any pain during the operation.• A slipped disc can cause severe back pain.• He told the doctor he was suffering from chest pains.• Dash put his head in his hands, as if in pain.• These are the truly intractable pains and they are called intractable because they respond to no known form of therapy.• Kerry had to drive herself to the hospital when the labor pains began.• Two days later, after refusing to eat and complaining of stomach pain, Jimmy was hospitalized.• The drug is often used to ease the pain of dying cancer patients.• Over time, the pain usually lessens and goes away, but this may take several months to several years.• The pain is getting worse.• It is state officials who are responsible for finding victims and easing their pain with financial help.• If unusual pain or symptoms occur consult physician.a lot of pain• She knew there was going to be a lot of pain.• I was feeling a lot of pain and I just wanted it to end.• We find them wet and in a lot of pain.• If Mrs Jones is looking uncomfortable, she may have wet herself, or she may be in a lot of pain.• Pat is keeping remarkably cheerful despite being in a lot of pain.• While I was doing this, the enemy shot thousands of arrows at me, which caused me a lot of pain.• She took a lot of pains with him.• With a lot of pain and suffering.pain and grief• Tears of frustration, anger, pain and grief.• It was as though all the pain and grief inside her was so heavy and immense that it had totally stunned her.painpain2 verb [transitive] → it pains somebody to do something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
pain• His war wound which had pained him earlier was now turning to agony.• She is pained that he can exclude her from his life.Origin pain1 (1200-1300) Old French peine, from Latin poena, from Greek poine “payment, punishment” 