pain in the ass

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Noun

pain in the ass (countable and uncountable, plural pains in the ass)

  1. (slang, vulgar, Canada, US) Something or someone that causes discomfort or frustration.
    Synonyms: pain in the back, pain in the backside, pain in the bum, pain in the butt, pain in the keister, pain in the neck, pain in the rear, pain in the dick; assache; pill
    • 2019 January 30, Tim Denning, Medium‎[1], retrieved 7 February 2025:
      Strangely enough, the days I spent at this pain-in-the-ass job were some of my most memorable and valuable.

Translations

See also

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