different between painful vs pinchy

English

Alternative forms

• painfull (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English paynful, peinful, peynful, paynefull, peynefull, equivalent to pain +? -ful. Compare Danish pinefuld (“painful”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?pe?n.f?l/

Adjective

painful (comparative painfuller or more painful, superlative painfullest or most painful)

1. Causing pain or distress, either physical or mental. [from 14th c.]
2. Afflicted or suffering with pain (of a body part or, formerly, of a person). [from 15th c.]
3. Requiring effort or labor; difficult, laborious. [from 15th c.]
4. (now rare) Painstaking; careful; industrious. [from 16th c.]
   • 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, p. 142:

     The men bestow their times in fishing, hunting, warres, and such manlike exercises, scorning to be seene in any woman-like exercise, which is the cause that the women be very painefull, and the men often idle.

   • 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, Book 2, Ch. 2

     For twenty generations, here was the earthly arena where painful living men worked out their life-wrestle

5. (informal) Very bad, poor.

   His violin playing is painful.

Synonyms

• (full of pain): doleful, sorrowful, smartful, irksome, annoying
• (requiring labor or toil): laborious, exerting

Antonyms

• (causing pain): painless, painfree

Derived terms

• painfully
• painfulness

Translations

English

Etymology

pinch +? -y

Adjective

pinchy (comparative pinchier, superlative pinchiest)

1. (informal) slightly painful, akin to being pinched
   • 1993, Milly Bennett, A. Tom Grunfeld - On Her Own: Journalistic Adventures from San Francisco to the Chinese Revolution, 1917-1927

     I pushed my cropped hair up and away from the back of my neck where it was pinchy and itching.

   • July 1998, Indianapolis Monthly Vol. 21, No. 13

     It's a rare treat in these days when anyone can truck in a case of trendy flavors, set out a few pinchy wire chairs and call the whole sterile spread an ice cream parlor.

   • 2002, Mary Pope Osborne - Adaline Falling Star

     I can't keep still. I feel like I'm caught in a trap — my tight corset and pinchy shoes don't help.

2. (informal) prone or designed to pinch
   • 2009, Mark Teague - Doom Machine

     “I don't understand this whatchamacallit. The way it wraps all the way around. Wouldn't it be simpler if it went straight up? Hey, hand me that pinchy thing with the zapper on one end.

   • 2009, Andy Rash - Are You a Horse?

     A skittery, pinchy thing ran sideways in front of Roy. It had plenty of legs. “Are you a horse?” he asked. “A horse? I'll pinch you good! A horse is friendly. I'm a crab!” said the crab.

Derived terms

• pinchily

Anagrams

• hypnic