painstaking

1 of 2

adjective

pains·​tak·​ing ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ How to pronounce painstaking (audio)
: taking pains : expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort
painstaking research
painstaking tasks
painstaking accuracy
painstakingly adverb

painstaking

2 of 2

noun

: the action of taking pains : diligent care and effort
… greater painstaking to achieve incidental verisimilitude and accuracy of detail …Times Literary Supplement

Examples of painstaking in a Sentence

Adjective The book describes the election process in painstaking detail. she was always painstaking about her work
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The innovative design is a result of countless hours of painstaking research and numerous prototypes, in collaboration with Chief Engineer Norm Tolentino, a former SpaceX aerospace engineer and girl-dad, who completely understood the vital importance of Bestie's mission. Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Over painstaking months, Magellan turned 16 terabytes of data into a life size digital model — accurate to about a centimeter — that viewers can fly through, walk on and rotate. Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025 The painstaking work has been underway for more than 24 hours, peeling back layers of debris in the hope of finding any of the dozens believed to be trapped underneath. Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2025 But staying anywhere close to that schedule will require a level of precise accomplishment in construction and testing—and in completing the painstaking work of regulatory certification—that seems likely to make boomless supersonic flight look easy. Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 10 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for painstaking

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1685, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of painstaking was in 1538

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Painstaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painstaking. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

painstaking

adjective
pains·​tak·​ing
ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ
: taking or showing great care and effort
a painstaking search
painstakingly
-kiŋ-lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on painstaking

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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