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Glite Dictionary
royal pain

royal pain

8 8.0
A very annoying person or thing that causes trouble
  • noun
  • /ˈrɔɪəl peɪn/
  • Offensive
translation icon : dolor en el culo (vulgar)
  • What a royal pain you turned out to be.
  • a royal pain in the ass
  • a royal pain in the butt
  • a royal pain in the neck

Examples

  • - Raymond can certainly be a royal pain.

    The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

  • You are a royal pain anyway.

    Letters to God (2010)

  • You're getting to be one royal pain in the ass, you know that?

    The Hard Corps (2005)

  • She's right, that lady's been a royal pain in the ass.

    The House on Sorority Row (1982)

  • It's a royal pain!

    The Doctor (1991)

  • Student loan paybacks would be a royal pain in the posterior, though.

    Blog text (7)

  • Dealing with the constant complaints from my neighbor has become a royal pain.

  • Having to redo my project for a third time is such a royal pain.

  • Her refusal to follow instructions made the whole process a royal pain.

Synonyms

pain
vsroyal pain
  • Informal
418 3.0

Something that causes annoyance or trouble

stresses extreme annoyance more strongly than this broader term
pain in the ass
vsroyal pain
  • Offensive
109 9.2

A person or thing that is very annoying and difficult to deal with

is a neutral phrase for extreme annoyance rather than crude slang
thorn
vsroyal pain
  • Informal
43 7.2

A person or thing that often causes trouble

focuses more on intense immediate annoyance rather than ongoing irritation
annoyance
vsroyal pain
21 3.2

A person or thing that bothers you

expresses a much stronger, extreme form of irritation rather than mild bother
pain in the neck
vsroyal pain
  • Informal
11 4.1

A person or thing that is annoying and causes trouble

is the neutral expression for extreme trouble without informal tone
bane of
vsroyal pain
10 7.4

A thing that causes a lot of trouble for someone

is more colloquial and focuses on extreme annoyance rather than deep distress
bane of one's existence
vsroyal pain
4 7.8

A person or thing that causes a lot of trouble and annoyance for someone

is a less intense phrase focusing on extreme annoyance rather than lasting misery
pain in the backside
vsroyal pain
  • Informal
1 7.4

Something that causes trouble or makes people annoyed

is a more general, slightly formal way to say extreme trouble
thorn in someone's side
vsroyal pain
  • Informal
1 6.3

A person or thing that keeps causing trouble for someone

highlights severe annoyance at any time rather than repeated occurrences
thorn in the flesh
vsroyal pain
  • Informal
1 7.0

Something that keeps causing you trouble or worry

is stronger and more emphatic about the level of annoyance
pain in the anus
vsroyal pain
  • Offensive
9.4

Someone or something that causes a lot of trouble and annoyance

is the same idea expressed without crude or explicit language

Antonyms

blessing
269 1.4

A good thing or situation that brings happiness

delight
184 1.2

A thing or feeling that gives great pleasure

How Annoying

nightmare
  • Informal
640 3.5
royal pain
  • Offensive
8 8.0
pain
  • Informal
418 3.0
nuisance
62 3.6
irritant
15 6.0

Surface Forms

royal pain singular
royal pains plural

Morphology

royal + pain

The noun 'pain' used metaphorically to mean a nuisance is fairly transparent, so a learner who knows that sense could guess the phrase refers to someone annoying. However, 'royal' is a figurative intensifier here (meaning very/extreme) rather than its literal sense relating to monarchy, which is not fully predictable for a B1 learner. Because one constituent gives a clear cue while the adjective’s intensified, metaphorical use is less predictable, the MWE is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Royal pain uses royal, meaning a king, to make pain seem much bigger, so imagine trouble fit for a ruler. That's why it means 'extremely annoying'.