pain

pain1 [ peın ] noun count or uncount ***

1. ) a feeling that you have in a part of your body when you are hurt or become sick:

chest/stomach pains

Harry has been enduring considerable back pain for a number of years.

pain in: I'm having terrible pains in my chest.

ease/relieve pain: The fresh air had done nothing to ease the pain Kelly felt in her head.

cause (someone) pain: An old injury was causing him intense pain.

in pain: He heard Leo scream in pain.

be in pain: I don't think she's in any pain.

a sharp pain (=a sudden strong pain): It was a sharp pain, on his left side, below his ribs.

2. ) a feeling of being very upset or unhappy:

Dealing with the subject sensitively can help prevent a lot of pain.

cause (someone) pain: The incident must have caused my parents great pain.

inflict pain on someone: He had no idea of the pain he had inflicted on her.

the pain of something: He found it hard to cope with the pain of being separated from his children.

be a pain (in the neck) VERY INFORMAL

to be very annoying. You can also say be a pain in the butt or ass but these expressions are impolite:

You're being a real pain!

be at pains to do something

to try very hard to do something:

The attorney was at pains to explain the effects of his client's plea.

for your pains

used for emphasizing that you have not been properly rewarded for your efforts:

All she got for her pains was a faint smile.

go to/take great pains

to do something with a lot of care or effort:

I had taken great pains to make the evening perfect.

no pain, no gain SPOKEN

used for saying that you have to work hard if you want to achieve something

on/under pain of something

used for threatening someone:

I told her under pain of death not to tell the police anything about the murder.

pain

pain 2 [ peın ] verb transitive

1. ) to make someone feel very upset or unhappy:

It was clear the subject pained him.

it pains someone to do something: It pained her to think that they would never talk with each other again.

it pains someone that: It pains me that we've done so little to help them.

2. ) FORMAL to make someone feel physical pain:

His head still pains him from time to time from the surgery.