Painstaking

Adjective

Definition: Done with or employing great care and thoroughness.

Synonyms: Careful, Meticulous, Thorough, Diligent, Precise

Antonyms: Careless, Negligent, Hasty, Sloppy

Examples:
  • The artist took painstaking efforts to recreate every detail of the historical painting.
  • The detective conducted a painstaking investigation to solve the complex case.
Mnemonics:
  • Imagine breaking down a task into tiny pieces and carefully taking pain-staking efforts to complete each one.

Etymology:

Origin:

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:

Idiom:

"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:

Misconception:

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.

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