painstaking

English

Etymology

From pains (plural usage) + taking.

Adjective

painstaking (comparative more painstaking, superlative most painstaking)

1. Carefully attentive to details; diligent in performing a process or procedure.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:industrious
• See also Wikisaurus:meticulous

Derived terms

• painstakingly, painstakingness

Translations

careful attentive; diligent

• Finnish: vaivalloinen (fi)
• French: méticuleux (fr) m, méticuleuse (fr) f, minutieux (fr) m, minutieuse (fr) f
• German: akribisch (de)
• Italian: scrupoloso (it), minuzioso (it)
• Japanese: 綿密な (ja) (めんみつな, menmitsu na)

• Russian: (очень) осторожный (ru) ((óčenʹ) ostoróžnyj), аккуратный (ru) (akkurátnyj), кропотливый (ru) (kropotlívyj) (laborious, mentally difficult)
• Scottish Gaelic: pongail (gd)
• Spanish: minucioso (es) m, esmerado (es)
• Swedish: noggrann (sv), omsorgsfull (sv), flitig (sv)

Noun

painstaking (uncountable)

1. The application of careful and attentive effort.
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.10:

     I esteeme Bocace his Decameron, Rabelais, and the kisses of John the second (if they may be placed under this title) worth the paines-taking to reade them.