Painful
Painful adjective - Causing or feeling bodily pain.
Usage example: her broken arm was too painful for her to go on the trip
Tender is a synonym for painful in sore topic. In some cases you can use "Tender" instead an adjective "Painful", when it comes to topics like characteristic, sensitive, health, physically or mentally agonizing. popular alternative
Both words in one sentence
-
Kiss of the Vampire: While vampire bites are generally depicted as extremely painful in this series, Aidan is very tender when he drains Celine.
Source: Series / Being Human (US) -
And then when they do, she's unpleasantly surprised to learn they're very tender and can be quite painful to the touch.
Source: Comic Book / Fun Home -
Under the tender care of Aoba Kozue, Narutakisou provides a home to people whose personal lives are all painful in one way or another; yet together, somehow, they make up a true family.
Source: Manga / Mahoraba
Cite this Source
Tender and Painful. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/painful/tender
Painful & Tender. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/painful/tender>.
Tender or Painful. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/painful/tender.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "painful" and "tender" have occurred on timeline