real pain
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5.3
- noun
- Informal
:
fastidio
- Finding a parking spot in this busy area is always a real pain.
- a real pain in the ass
- a real pain in the butt
- a real pain in the neck
And even worse, Ward Carlisle, her hunky neighbor, is a real pain in my pumpkin patch.
- And even worse, Ward Carlisle, her hunky neighbor, is a real pain in my pumpkin patch.
- Let me tell you this here, when you're selling online, getting orders out can be a real pain.
Examples
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You know, I can be a real pain in the ass.
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Different serial numbers are a real pain in the ass for me.
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The camera is so heavy it was a real pain after 5 hours.
Blog text (25) -
Most of my clients pay very well indeed, and a few are a real pain in the ass.
Blog text (23) -
The landlord's a real pain in the neck.
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But it was a real pain in the ass because I listened to them.
Fiction book (1995) -
On small screens, this is a real pain in the ass.
Blog text (4) -
They can be a real pain, but think about what it must be like for them.
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It must be a real pain.
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Finding gluten-free makeup is a real pain, and very few companies in stores are safely gluten-free.
Blog text (17)
Antonyms
How Annoying
Surface Forms
Morphology
This phrase is compositionally transparent: 'real' functions as an intensifier ('very'/'really') applied to 'pain', and the figurative use of 'pain' for an annoyance is a common, predictable extension. The pattern (intensifier + noun meaning nuisance) is cross-linguistically common and B1 learners who know both words will generally infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
Real pain comes from comparing a strong annoyance to real bodily hurt: imagine a small stone in your shoe that causes real pain and makes everything difficult. That's why we call a person or thing a real pain when they make life hard or are 'an inconvenience'.