adverb
C2
Proficient
painstakingly
PAYN-stay-kihng-lee
Painstakingly (adverb) means With great care and thoroughness; very slowly and meticulously. Example: “He painstakingly rebuilt the engine piece by piece.”
adverb
1
With great care and thoroughness; very slowly and meticulously.
"He painstakingly rebuilt the engine piece by piece."
"The team painstakingly translated every line of the manuscript."
How to use painstakingly
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDoing something with a slow, careful, detail-focused effort.
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like painstakingly.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Comparative
- more painstakingly
- Superlative
- most painstakingly
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He _____ rebuilt the engine piece by piece.
Etymology
From painstaking plus -ly.
Synonyms
View more →
fastidiously
Rhymes for painstakingly
kingly
tingly
lovingly
amazingly
willingly
seemingly
mockingly
knowingly
alarmingly
annoyingly
strikingly
shockingly
See all rhymes for painstakingly →
Frequently asked questions
What does “painstakingly” mean?
The word “painstakingly” means with great care and thoroughness; very slowly and meticulously. In plain terms, doing something with a slow, careful, detail-focused effort.
How do you pronounce “painstakingly”?
“Painstakingly” is pronounced PAYN-stay-kihng-lee (/ˈpeɪnˌsteɪkɪŋli/ in IPA).
How do you use “painstakingly” in a sentence?
Here is “painstakingly” used in a sentence: “He painstakingly rebuilt the engine piece by piece.”
What part of speech is “painstakingly”?
“Painstakingly” is an adverb.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include painstakingly: