Dictionary

pain in the ass en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Dysphemistically modelled after pain in the neck. First attested in the early to mid-20th century.

Meanings

1. (Canada, US, countable, idiomatic, slang, uncountable, vulgar) Something or someone that causes discomfort, frustration, or annoyance.
   • Strangely enough, the days I spent at this pain-in-the-ass job were some of my most memorable and valuable. 2019 January 30, Tim Denning, “How To Use A Pain-In-The-Ass Job To Your Advantage And Come Out A Winner”, in Medium, archived from the original on 10 Sep 2020, retrieved 07 Feb 2025:
   • His one obligation is that, every day, he must gather $10,000 worth of items from the store – stuff he doesn’t need: electronics, nappies, pet food and so forth – and exchange them for the cash. This is both an acute pain in the ass, and the one thing that prevents him from going insane with boredom. ) 2025 June 3, Mark O’Connell, “‘The Mozart of the attention economy’: why MrBeast is the world’s biggest YouTube star”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 07 Jun 2025:
2. (countable, uncountable) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pain, in, the, ass.

Forms

Relateds

proctalgia · pygalgia · PITA · royal pain · pain in the arse · pain in one's ass · pain in one's arse · coccydynia

Synonyms

pain in the dick · pain in the back · pain in the keister · pain in the neck · pill · pain in the rear · assache · pain in the backside · pain in the bum · pain in the butt

Translations (58)

fr emmerdeur (something that causes discomfort) · fr emmerde (something that causes discomfort) · fr pète-couilles (something that causes discomfort) · it cacacazzo (something that causes discomfort) · es coñazo (something that causes discomfort) · he קוץ בתחת (something that causes discomfort) · ru геморро́й (something that causes discomfort) · gl gran no cu (something that causes discomfort) · cs opruz (something that causes discomfort) · it rompicoglioni (something that causes discomfort) · ar أَلَم فِي الْمُؤَخَّرَة (something that causes discomfort) · ro bătaie de cap (something that causes discomfort) · fa دردسر (something that causes discomfort) · es grano en el culo (something that causes discomfort) · fr casse-pied (something that causes discomfort) · fi piikki lihassa (something that causes discomfort) · is kvalræði (something that causes discomfort) · pt pé no saco (something that causes discomfort) · pl wrzód na tyłku (something that causes discomfort) · it cagacazzo (something that causes discomfort) · ro ghimpe în coaste (something that causes discomfort) · cs vopruz (something that causes discomfort) · fr pète-burnes (something that causes discomfort) · es patada en los huevos (something that causes discomfort) · de Nervensäge (something that causes discomfort) · yi געשוויר אויפֿן הינטן (something that causes discomfort) · ro pacoste (something that causes discomfort) · sv plåga (something that causes discomfort) · cs prudič (something that causes discomfort) · it rompipalle (something that causes discomfort) · it palo in culo (something that causes discomfort) · sh gnjavaža (something that causes discomfort) · ro durere de cap (something that causes discomfort) · fr épine au pied (something that causes discomfort) · cs osina v zadku (something that causes discomfort) · cs otrava (something that causes discomfort) · ru зану́да (something that causes discomfort) · ga pian sa tóin (something that causes discomfort) · ru головна́я боль (something that causes discomfort) · ru зано́за в за́днице (something that causes discomfort) · fi maanvaiva (something that causes discomfort) · hu púp a hátán (something that causes discomfort) · fi kiusankappale (something that causes discomfort) · gl foda (something that causes discomfort) · cmn 眼中釘 /眼中钉 (something that causes discomfort) · es patada en las bolas (something that causes discomfort) · fi riesa (something that causes discomfort) · it seccatore (something that causes discomfort) · ro junghi în coaste (something that causes discomfort) · nl strontvervelend (something that causes discomfort) · ca gra al cul (something that causes discomfort) · ba мәшәҡәт (something that causes discomfort) · it seccatura (something that causes discomfort) · af pyn in die nek (something that causes discomfort) · el κακός μπελάς (something that causes discomfort) · fi kiusanhenki (something that causes discomfort) · it scocciatore (something that causes discomfort) · pl wrzód na dupie (something that causes discomfort)