English Reference
adjective

painless

adj.
US /ˈpeɪnɫəs/ UK /pˈeɪnləs/ pain·less

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate Medicine

    causing no physical pain or suffering.

    causing no physical discomfort or bodily suffering; often used in medical contexts.

    Simple

    The dentist promised that the injection would be completely painless.

    In context

    Modern surgical techniques have made many procedures virtually painless, significantly reducing the recovery time for patients.

    unpainfulcomfortable
  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    very easy to do and not causing any trouble or stress.

    requiring little effort or causing no mental distress; characterized by ease of execution.

    Simple

    Setting up the new software was a painless process that only took five minutes.

    In context

    The transition to the new digital filing system was surprisingly painless, thanks to the thorough training provided to the staff beforehand.

    easyeffortlesstrouble free

From Middle English paynles, peynlees, equivalent to pain + -less. Compare West Frisian pynleas (“painless”), Dutch pijnloos (“painless”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Middle English paynles
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated