Mental and Physical Pain: English Vocabulary List

a pain in someone's back

"He had a backache after lifting boxes."

"Sitting at a desk for eight hours daily gave him a persistent backache that would not go away."

a condition in babies where they cry a lot and seem uncomfortable, usually because of stomach pain or gas

"The baby cries from colic every evening."

"Colic is frequent prolonged and intense crying in a healthy baby that lasts for more than three hours a day."

a sudden painful contraction in a muscle due to fatigue

"My leg has a cramp."

"He experienced a sudden, sharp cramp in his calf muscle while swimming laps at the pool."

a sudden, sharp pain or discomfort, often linked to muscle stiffness, commonly occurring in areas like the neck, back, or other parts of the body

"He has a crick."

"A crick is a painful stiffness or spasm in the muscles of the neck or back."

a pain inside the ear

"The child cried because of his earache."

"The child cried because of a painful earache so his mother immediately took him to see the doctor."

a trauma caused by a physical reaction to electrical currents flowing through one's body

"The electric shock hurt."

"Electric shock occurs when an electric current passes through the body and can cause burns or cardiac arrest."

discomfort or fatigue in the eyes, often caused by prolonged reading, screen time, or other activities requiring intense visual focus

"Eyestrain causes discomfort."

"Eyestrain is a common condition that occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use such as staring at a computer screen for hours."

mild limb discomfort experienced by children during periods of rapid growth, typically between ages 3 and 12, though not directly caused by growth itself

"The child has growing pains."

"Growing pains are harmless muscle aches that some children experience in their legs usually in the late afternoon or evening."

a pain in the head, usually persistent

"I have a bad headache."

"She took some medication to alleviate the throbbing headache that had been bothering her all afternoon."

lower back pain, often characterized by discomfort, stiffness, or muscle tension in the lumbar region of the spine

"Lumbago causes back pain."

"Lumbago is an older term for pain in the lower back often caused by muscle strain or arthritis."

the sensation of tiny sharp points poking into the skin or a mild numbing feeling, often felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, caused when pressure is put on nerves

"My leg has pins and needles."

"When my foot fell asleep I felt a strange pins and needles sensation that was very uncomfortable."

pain felt in a tooth or several teeth

"She complained of toothache."

"A severe toothache forced him to call the dentist for an emergency appointment on a Sunday morning."

a condition characterized by painful involuntary movement or stiffness in the hand or forearm caused by excessive writing

"Writer's cramp hurts hand."

"Writer's cramp is a type of focal dystonia that causes involuntary muscle contractions making it difficult to write."

a continuous pain in a part of the body, often not severe

"My legs ache today."

"After a long day of hiking, his muscles developed a deep ache that made walking difficult."

severe physical or mental pain

"The injured animal was in obvious agony and needed a vet immediately."

"Agony is an extreme and prolonged feeling of physical or emotional pain that is so intense it becomes almost impossible to bear without relief."

a state of extreme physical pain or mental distress

"His anguish was heartbreaking to see."

"Anguish is an acute and profound form of mental suffering"

a stabbing or burning pain along a nerve, often caused by irritation or damage to the nerve

"Neuralgia causes sharp pain."

"Neuralgia is a sharp shocking pain that follows the path of a nerve and is caused by irritation or damage to that nerve."

a brief, intense physical pain or discomfort

"A pang of hunger."

"She felt a sudden pang of regret as she realized she had made a terrible mistake."

a sudden, uncontrollable tightening or contraction of a muscle

"Muscle spasm occurred."

"A sudden muscle spasm occurred in her leg while she was running yesterday afternoon."

a sudden, intense sensation of an emotion

"A stab of sadness."

"He felt a sudden stab of anxiety as the dark clouds gathered ominously overhead."

a steady or beating sensation of pain or discomfort, often like a heartbeat, commonly felt in areas like the head or muscles

"My head has a throb."

"He felt a dull throb in his temple that intensified with every loud noise he heard."

extreme amount of pain or distress experienced either physically or mentally

"The pain was pure torment."

"The constant anxiety about his upcoming exam was a form of mental torment that made it hard to concentrate."

a sharp or intense pain in the stomach area, often because of digestive issues or menstruation

"She has stomach griping."

"The spicy food gave him a sharp griping in his stomach that lasted for several hours."

a condition where sudden pressure changes cause nitrogen bubbles in the body, leading to symptoms like joint pain and fatigue

"Divers get decompression sickness."

"Decompression sickness can occur in divers who ascend too rapidly from deep underwater dives, causing severe pain."

damage to muscles, tendons, or other soft tissues that develops over time from repetitive movements, prolonged overuse, or sustained awkward posture during work or daily activities

"Typing caused repetitive strain injury."

"Prolonged computer use can lead to repetitive strain injury in the wrists and hands, causing discomfort and pain."

any discomfort or pressure felt in the chest area, that can be because of heart issues, digestive problems, or muscle strain

"He felt chest pain."

"The sudden, sharp chest pain prompted him to immediately call for emergency medical assistance, fearing a heart attack."

a pain in or near someone's stomach

"He stayed home with a stomachache."

"The child complained of a stomachache after eating too much candy at the birthday party."