Painstaking — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ/ pains·tak·ing

Meaning & Definition of Painstaking

Painstaking (adjective)

  1. taking pains, expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort

Painstaking (noun)

  1. the action of taking pains, diligent care and effort

Painstaking (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. taking, showing, or involving great care and effort

    "she was always painstaking about her work"

    similar: careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, scrupulous
    related: assiduous, diligent, indefatigable, persevering, sedulous, exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing, alert, attentive, observant, vigilant, watchful, accurate, exact, precise, strict, critical, demanding, discriminating, exacting, fastidious, finicky, particular, cautious, chary, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful, mindful, wary, deliberate, plodding, slow, studied, thoughtful, all-out, determined, dogged, intensive, patient, tenacious, tireless, zealous
    opposite: careless
    near: cursory, halfhearted, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary, lax, neglectful, negligent, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly, imprecise, inaccurate, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating, bold, impetuous, rash, reckless, apathetic, indifferent, lackadaisical, lazy, lazyish

Painstaking (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in effort, trouble

    similar: bother, effort, effortfulness, pains, trouble, doggedness, perseverance, persistence, tenacity, tirelessness, application, attention, attentiveness, care, concentration, assiduity, assiduousness, diligence, industriousness, industry, sedulity, sedulousness
    opposite: carelessness, negligence, slackness, idleness, indolence, laziness

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Painstaking

The most common words with a similar meaning to Painstaking:

careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, scrupulous, bother, effort, effortfulness, pains, trouble, doggedness, perseverance, persistence, tenacity, tirelessness, application, attention, attentiveness, care, concentration, assiduity, assiduousness, diligence, industriousness, industry, sedulity, sedulousness

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Painstaking

Words with the opposite meaning of Painstaking:

careless, carelessness, negligence, slackness, idleness, indolence, laziness

Related Words for Painstaking

assiduous, diligent, indefatigable, persevering, sedulous, exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing, alert, attentive, observant, vigilant, watchful, accurate, exact, precise, strict, critical, demanding, discriminating, exacting, fastidious, finicky, particular, cautious, chary, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful

Near Antonyms of Painstaking

cursory, halfhearted, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary, lax, neglectful, negligent, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly, imprecise, inaccurate, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating, bold, impetuous, rash, reckless, apathetic, indifferent, lackadaisical, lazy, lazyish

Word Forms of Painstaking

Derived words: painstakingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Painstaking

First known use: circa 1685

Frequently Asked Questions about Painstaking

What does "Painstaking" mean?

"Painstaking" means taking pains, expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: taking pains, expending, showing, or involving diligent care and effort. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Painstaking"?

Other words for "Painstaking" include careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, scrupulous, bother and effort. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Painstaking" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Painstaking"?

There are 73 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Painstaking". Common alternatives include careful, conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, scrupulous, bother, effort, effortfulness and pains.

What is the opposite of "Painstaking"?

Antonyms of "Painstaking" include careless, carelessness, negligence, slackness, idleness, indolence and laziness. Near antonyms include cursory, halfhearted, heedless and inattentive.

How do you use "Painstaking" in a sentence?

Examples of "Painstaking" in a sentence: "she was always painstaking about her work".

Is "Painstaking" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Painstaking" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Painstaking"?

"Painstaking" is pronounced /ˈpān-ˌstā-kiŋ/ and divided into syllables as pains·tak·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Painstaking"?

First known use: circa 1685.