What does “painstaking” mean?
painstaking
Oh, this is a good one —
"Painstaking" means doing something very carefully and with a lot of attention to every small detail. It takes time and effort, and the person really doesn't rush.
So imagine someone is restoring an old painting — they work slowly, fixing tiny parts one by one. You could say, "She did a painstaking job restoring the old painting." Or think about a scientist checking their data over and over — "He was painstaking in his research, making sure every number was correct."
It comes from the idea of "taking pains" — meaning putting in real effort and care. The word sounds a little negative because of "pain," but it's actually a compliment! If someone calls your work painstaking, they're saying, "Wow, you were so careful and thorough."
You'll hear it a lot with words like "work," "effort," or "attention" — like "painstaking attention to detail."
Basically, painstaking = super careful, detailed, and thorough work done with a lot of effort.
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