painfully good

USAGE SUMMARY

'painfully good' is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe something that is really good in a way that is difficult to bear or accept. For example, "The steak I had last night was painfully good."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Please do not misinterpret my last sentence, Michael Cera is painfully good in this.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

It brought to mind a children's holiday table, if, that is, your cousins at Thanksgiving all wore shaggy bobs and artfully distressed leather pants, and if your family had jettisoned all children who were not painfully good-looking.

The New York Times

Painfully honest.

The Guardian

Most crucially, and again most painfully, being right and being good support the American self to an almost tautologous degree: Americans are good and right by virtue of being American.

The Guardian

The bill is entirely too clever for its own good, painfully complicated in its tinkering instrumentalism, which in the end would do very little and do it too late, like an impoverished family scrounging for dinner money on the eve of their eviction.

Huffington Post

Painfully normal, right?

The Guardian

The film is painfully sentimental, and the good characters are improbably noble, but the star performances are definitely worth watching - Saturday at 10 30 pm. on WE.

The New York Times

But her feelings are conflicted, and she is painfully aware that her good intentions may pave a road to hell for her friends: 'I thought that at least by staying at home they would not risk getting poisoned, disfigured or killed.

The Guardian

You are painfully aware that a good teacher should never need to raise their voice, and that even if by shouting you get a lull, the noise level soon goes up again.

Science Magazine

I would see two each weekend (it didn't matter which ones - usually one good, one painfully awful), and I gained a rep in school as "the movie guy".

Huffington Post

But every once in a while, I start going down the rabbit holes of Tumblr or photography blogs, and I become painfully aware how much good photography is out there.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "painfully good" to add a touch of playful exaggeration when describing something exceptionally enjoyable, suggesting it's so good it's almost overwhelming or hard to believe.

Common error

Avoid using "painfully good" in contexts where genuine suffering or discomfort is involved. The phrase is meant to describe a positive experience with a hint of playful exaggeration, not actual pain.

Linguistic Context

Adjectival phrase modifying a noun. The phrase "painfully good" functions as an adjective phrase, intensifying the quality of the noun it modifies. It suggests an extreme level of goodness, almost to the point of being overwhelming, as confirmed by Ludwig AI's assessment of its usability.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "painfully good" is a grammatically correct and evocative way to express extreme enjoyment, suggesting something is so good it's almost overwhelming. While Ludwig AI confirms its validity, it's important to use it appropriately, avoiding contexts where actual pain is involved. Alternatives like "delightfully overwhelming" or "uncomfortably pleasurable" can offer similar nuances. Its primary function is to express enthusiastic approval, and while usable, it's not a particularly common expression, adding a touch of uniqueness to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

delightfully overwhelming

Captures the intense and almost excessive nature of the pleasure, closely mirroring the feeling conveyed by "painfully good".

uncomfortably pleasurable

This alternative shares the paradoxical nature of "painfully good", highlighting a discomfort arising from excessive pleasure.

almost unbearably wonderful

Shares the sense of being overwhelmed by goodness, similar to "painfully good", but with a more explicit emphasis on the overwhelming aspect.

exceedingly enjoyable

Focuses on the positive and pleasurable aspects of the experience, without the implied intensity or paradox of "painfully good".

exceptionally pleasing

Focuses on the positive and agreeable aspects, without the hint of overwhelming sensation present in "painfully good".

remarkably satisfying

Highlights the fulfillment aspect, moving away from the slightly overwhelming or challenging connotation of "painfully good".

exquisitely delightful

Emphasizes the delicate and refined nature of the pleasure derived, differing from the intensity implied by "painfully good".

deliciously agonizing

Emphasizes the bittersweet nature of the experience, contrasting with the purely positive connotation that could be associated with "painfully good".

splendidly torturous

Highlights the paradoxical blend of pleasure and suffering, similar to "painfully good", but placing greater emphasis on the 'torturous' aspect.

beautifully frustrating

Highlights the paradoxical blend of pleasure and suffering, similar to "painfully good", but placing greater emphasis on the 'frustrating' aspect.

FAQs

How can "painfully good" be used in a sentence?

You can use "painfully good" to describe something exceptionally pleasing. For example, "The chocolate cake was "painfully good", I couldn't resist having a second slice."

What does "painfully" really mean in "painfully good"?

In this context, "painfully" is used hyperbolically to emphasize the intensity of the goodness. It implies something is so good it's almost overwhelming or hard to bear, not that it causes actual pain.

Is "painfully good" a common expression?

While not the most common phrase, "painfully good" is readily understood and adds a touch of playful exaggeration to descriptions. Ludwig's examples show it's used in various contexts, although not as frequently as simpler alternatives.

What are some alternatives to "painfully good"?

Depending on the nuance you want to convey, you could use alternatives like "delightfully overwhelming", "uncomfortably pleasurable", or "almost unbearably wonderful".