Word
painstaking
Phoneticspainstak·ing
US/ˈpeɪnˌsteɪkɪŋ/
UK/pˈeɪnsteɪkɪŋ/
Definition
adj. describing work that is done with great care and attention to detail. It usually takes a lot of time and effort to finish.
adj. characterised by extreme care, precision, and thoroughness in execution. Often implies a laborious process that requires significant mental or physical effort.
Examples
“The artist spent painstaking hours painting the small details.”
“The researchers conducted a painstaking analysis of the data to ensure no small error went unnoticed.”
“The restoration of the ancient manuscript required painstaking attention to the delicate ink, as any sudden movement could cause the fragile pages to tear.”
Examples
simple
“The artist spent painstaking hours painting the small details.”
contextual
“The researchers conducted a painstaking analysis of the data to ensure no small error went unnoticed.”
complex
“The restoration of the ancient manuscript required painstaking attention to the delicate ink, as any sudden movement could cause the fragile pages to tear.”
Real-World Examples
“It is worth noting that his foray into costly online clinics bears no resemblance to the immensely painstaking procedures behind an ADHD diagnostic procedure as laid out by Nice guidelines .” “The purpose was to spare the human researchers the tedious and painstaking work of hand-classifying every project in the data set.” Etymology
From pains + taking; see take pains. The /ˈpeɪnˌsteɪkɪŋ/ pronunciation which dominates in the United States suggests a reanalysis of the word as pain + staking.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/painstaking