Painstaking
Adjective
Definition: Done with or employing great care and thoroughness.
Synonyms: Careful, Meticulous, Thorough, Diligent, Precise
Antonyms: Careless, Negligent, Hasty, Sloppy
- The artist took painstaking efforts to recreate every detail of the historical painting.
- The detective conducted a painstaking investigation to solve the complex case.
- Imagine breaking down a task into tiny pieces and carefully taking pain-staking efforts to complete each one.
Etymology:
The word "painstaking" originated from the combination of the word "pain" (meaning effort or exertion) and "staking" (meaning to take risks or go to great lengths).
Historical Usage:The term "painstaking" has been used in the English language since the 17th century to describe activities or efforts that required meticulous attention to detail.
Related Idioms:
"Painstakingly slow"
Explanation:Refers to something that is extremely slow and requires meticulous attention, often used to convey a sense of frustration or impatience.
Misconceptions:
Associating the word "painstaking" with physical pain.
Explanation:While the word does contain the term "pain," it does not refer to physical pain. Instead, it reflects the mental or meticulous effort that is put into a task.