painfully
adv. degree B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈpeɪnfəɫi// UK //pˈeɪnfəli// painful·ly
adv. to a degree that is very unpleasant or difficult to experience. You use it to emphasize that something is much slower or more awkward than it should be.
adv. to an extreme and distressing degree; used as an intensifier to emphasize a negative quality or a slow process.
The internet connection is painfully slow today.
He was painfully shy as a child and found it difficult to make friends at school.
The committee moved at a painfully sluggish pace, debating every minor detail while the deadline for the project rapidly approached.
From Middle English peinfully, paynefully, equivalent to painful + -ly.
Usage
Typically placed before the adjective it modifies to intensify a negative or awkward quality.