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Synonyms: Pain

An aspirin can fix a headache, but what's the cure for a weak vocabulary? It can't hurt to learn this list of words related to pain and injury! For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
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Full list of words from this list:

  1. agony
    intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
    I groan and attempt to get up, forgetting the trauma to my back until agony explodes across my skin. Dread Nation
    The Greek word agonía, meaning "struggle" or "suffering," made its way through Latin and French to become agony in English. Along the way, it lost the "struggle" sense, so now it just means "intense emotional or physical pain."
  2. contusion
    an injury in which the skin is not broken
    There were contusions on his face, but he was conscious. Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel
    Contusion is the medical term for a bruise. The word comes from the Latin verb contundere, meaning "to bruise."
  3. convulsion
    a violent uncontrollable contraction of muscles
    In the absence of key nutrients, a severe chemical imbalance develops in the brain, inducing convulsions and hallucinations. Into the Wild
  4. cramp
    a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
    His legs were cramping badly, so he found himself a likely rock and sat on it to rub his thighs. A Dance with Dragons
  5. discomfort
    the state of being tense and feeling pain
    The agony of the fractured leg began to seem no more than a mild discomfort as The Giver led Jonas firmly, little by little, into the deep and terrible suffering of the past. The Giver
  6. fracture
    breaking of hard tissue such as bone
    “It’s probably only a hairline fracture,” my dad says. Internment
    Fractured is the medical term for "broken."
  7. injury
    physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident
    He details my various injuries: hairline fracture in my left elbow, a deep contusion in my thigh, and various other minor bruises and scrapes. Love, Hate & Other Filters
  8. irritation
    inflammation, soreness, or abnormal sensitivity
    Side effects were also similar, such as fever, headache and skin irritation at the site of injection. Nature (Aug 10, 2020)
  9. laceration
    a torn ragged wound
    The nurse at Jamison puts a bandage over the laceration and asks me to hold an icy compress on my wound, which I do. Counting by 7s
    In Latin, lacerare means "to cut."
  10. pang
    a sudden sharp feeling
    Feeling the pangs of hunger gnawing at my stomach, I decided I would stop and eat at the next stream I found. Where the Red Fern Grows
    You'll often see pang in the context of hunger, describing the sharp abdominal pains that can result from starvation, but pangs can refer to emotional pain as well: the sudden onset of guilt, regret, or grief.
  11. sore
    causing misery or pain or distress
    I'm very sore from jogging every day this week. Counting by 7s
    To be sore is to ache or feel pain either locally or all over. A sore is an area of irritated or borken skin that often hurts.
  12. spasm
    a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
    Katie started a smile but a pain spasm wiped it off her face. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    A spasm is very similar to a convulsion. Muscle spasms can cause sudden, intense pain.
  13. sprain
    twist suddenly so as to wrench
    His sprained ankle throbbed as he forced the pedal downward in an effort that was almost beyond him. The Giver
  14. tender
    hurting
    My nose was tender and smarted when I touched it. Endangered
    If part of your body is tender, then it hurts if you touch or press on it.
  15. throb
    a deep pulsating type of pain
    The old wound throbbed with pain and a great chill spread towards Frodo’s heart. The Two Towers
  16. torment
    intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
    The daily prayers were a torment and my knees became sore from kneeling so long and often. Black Boy
  17. torture
    infliction of suffering to punish or obtain information
    They tortured him mercilessly, kicking him and hurling him around. Unbroken
  18. twinge
    a sudden sharp feeling
    He felt a twinge in his chest, and with a disturbing jolt, he realized it was panic. Six of Crows
    A twinge is similar to a pang: a sudden, sharp feeling of pain.
  19. wound
    an injury to living tissue
    Will lay down, because his wound was hurting him—much more now than when it was fresh. The Subtle Knife
    Any type of injury, from a scraped knee to a shark bite, can be called a wound.
Created on Mon Sep 07 10:48:38 EDT 2020 (updated Mon Mar 22 17:42:56 EDT 2021)

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