Slang

pain | pain in the ass | pain in the butt

This page is about the slang term pain | pain in the ass | pain in the butt

American English

Meaning

an annoying or troublesome person or thing

For example

  • Rosanne has been a real pain in the ass since she was voted prom queen. She thinks she's better than the rest of us now.

  • Getting all this spam email is such a pain in the butt. I wish they wouldn't send the damn stuff.

Variety

This is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz

Someone might be called a "pain" if they

a. complain about everything

b. help lots of people

c. make people laugh
a) complain about everything b) help lots of people c) make people laugh

See Slang of the Day today

Contributor: Matt Errey