painstaking

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpeɪnˌsteɪkɪŋ/ UK /ˈpeɪnzˌteɪkɪŋ/ See IPA manual

Freq #36041

Meanings

1

adj
Done with great care, attention to detail, and effort.

After months of painstaking work, the team finally restored the old painting.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · done with great care,... conscientious meticulous diligent

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

painstaking research
careful investigation carried out with great effort and attention to detail

Adjective + noun

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.

*kʷey- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# painstaking

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpeɪnˌsteɪkɪŋ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpeɪnzˌteɪkɪŋ/
**Frequency rank:** 36041

## Meanings
1. Done with great care, attention to detail, and effort.

## Examples
- After months of painstaking work, the team finally restored the old painting.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *kʷey-

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Painstaking is formed from pains + taking; see take pains. The /ˈpeɪnˌsteɪkɪŋ/ pronunciation which dominates in the United States suggests a reanalysis of the word as pain + staking. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include *kʷey- (Proto-Indo-European). Current senses include done with great care, attention to detail, and effort.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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