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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Painstaking: Definition, Usage & Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：extremely careful (painstaking)

painstaking 🔊

/ˈpeɪnzˌteɪ.kɪŋ/

adj.

means extremely careful and thorough, paying attention to every small detail.

Painstaking meaning illustrated by a watchmaker meticulously inspecting tiny watch gears.

extremely careful 🔊

➕

/ɪkˈstriːmli ˈkɛəfəl/

adj.

Describes an action or process characterized by great and diligent care, thoroughness, and attention to minute details.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From 'pains' (effort, trouble) + 'taking', literally meaning 'taking pains'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think: PAY-ing STAKES in a GAME requires careful attention. PAIN-STAKING effort leads to a high-quality outcome.

📖 Example

The scientist spent days doing a painstaking check of every tiny circuit on the microchip. 🔊 The scientist devoted several days to conducting an extremely careful and thorough inspection of every miniature circuit on the microchip.

🔗 Collocations

painstaking attention – extremely careful and thorough focus on details

painstaking effort – great and diligent work invested

painstaking accuracy – precision achieved through meticulous care

🔄 Synonyms

meticulous (adj.) – showing great attention to detail; very careful and precise

thorough (adj.) – complete with regard to every detail; not superficial

fastidious (adj.) – very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

🚫 Antonyms

careless (adj.) – not giving sufficient attention or thought to avoiding harm or errors

slapdash (adj.) – done too hurriedly and carelessly

🌱 Derivatives

painstakingly (adv.) – in a way that shows great care and thoroughness

📖 Cultural Story

The term, used since the 16th century, originally described the willingness to undertake great trouble or effort to ensure a result was perfect. It reflects a cultural value placed on diligence and meticulous craftsmanship.

Meaning 2：demanding great effort (painstaking)

painstaking 🔊

/ˈpeɪnzˌteɪ.kɪŋ/

adj.

describes work that requires or shows a lot of effort, hard work, and time.

Painstaking effort shown by an archaeologist carefully brushing an ancient artifact.

demanding great effort 🔊

➕

/dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ ɡreɪt ˈefət/

adj.

Describes a task or process that requires or demonstrates a considerable amount of laborious, time-consuming, and diligent work.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

The restoration of the ancient mural was a painstaking process that took the experts several years. 🔊 The process of restoring the ancient wall painting was a task that demanded great effort and took the specialists multiple years to complete.

🔗 Collocations

painstaking work – labor that demands great diligence and time

painstaking process – a procedure requiring slow, careful, and thorough effort

painstaking task – a job that is laborious and demanding

🔄 Synonyms

arduous (adj.) – involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring

laborious (adj.) – requiring considerable time and effort

strenuous (adj.) – requiring or using great exertion

🚫 Antonyms

effortless (adj.) – requiring no physical or mental exertion

easy (adj.) – achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties