painful experience

collocation in English

meaningsofpainfulandexperience

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withexperience.
painful
adjective
uk
/ˈpeɪn.fəl/us
/ˈpeɪn.fəl/
causing emotional or ...
See more atpainful
experience
noun
uk
/ɪkˈspɪə.ri.əns/us
/ɪkˈspɪr.i.əns/
(the process of getting) knowledge or skill from doing, seeing, or ...
See more atexperience

(Definition ofpainfulandexperiencefrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesofpainful experience

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
This is well illustrated by thepainfulexperienceof a father whose son was swallowed up in such a group.
From theCambridge English Corpus
For many widows the death of their husband had been a lengthy andpainfulexperience.
From theCambridge English Corpus
However,painfulexperiencehas taught us that errors occur most easily, and are most costly, in the initial, informal phase of system design.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Classic symptoms of anxiety resemble conditioned defensive behavior that is evoked in anticipation of impendingpainfulexperience.
From theCambridge English Corpus
The second layer is the ambiguous residue ofpainfulexperience.
From theCambridge English Corpus
In time this scientific and philosophical challenge developed into political movement demanding democratic reforms, in part based on the scientists'painfulexperienceof science catering to and suffered from ideology.
From theCambridge English Corpus
This was the voice ofpainfulexperience.
From theCambridge English Corpus
It would be unacceptable because court procedures can be apainfulexperience.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
To part with them, or with any of them, has been the severest and mostpainfulexperienceof my public life.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
However, the truth is that many people still think going to school is like going to a bad dentist—apainfulexperience.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I had a verypainfulexperiencesome considerable time ago.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We have theirpainfulexperienceto guide us.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These are usually drawn in the light ofpainfulexperienceafter wars are over.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Those young people must go through another verypainfulexperience.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is an immensely difficult problem and it can only be tackled withpainfulexperience.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Painfulexperiencemakes me pretty certain that we have not reached that altitude at present.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
To a less strong individual, however, it can be a verypainfulexperience.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I am not reading from a textbook, but speaking frompainfulexperience.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Want to learn more?
Go to the definition ofpainful
Go to the definition ofexperience
See other collocations withexperience