painfully
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of PAINFULLY
[more painfully; most painfully]
1
:
very or extremely
— used especially to describe something that is bad, unpleasant, or upsetting
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They made it painfully obvious/clear that we were not welcome. [=they made it very clear in a way that was rude or upsetting that we were not welcome]
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After the injury she was painfully aware that her career in tennis would be over.
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New developments have been painfully slow.
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She is painfully shy.
2
:
in a way that causes pain
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After her tooth was pulled, her jaw was painfully swollen.
3
:
in a way that requires a lot of effort
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He labored painfully over his work.
