penosamente

painfully, laboriously

adverb peh-noh-sah-MEHN-teh Rare

Usage Note

Penosamente derives from penoso (painful, distressing) plus -mente. It describes something accomplished with great effort and suffering, or something that is embarrassingly poor. Avanzar penosamente means to struggle forward, while actuar penosamente can mean to perform embarrassingly badly — context clarifies the shade of meaning.

Examples

"El herido avanzó penosamente hasta la salida."

Natural Translation

The injured man struggled painfully to the exit.

Free starter pack

Building your Spanish vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Spanish words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Spanish by topic

SpanishNow

Spanish Reflexive Verbs: Me, Te, Se Made Clear

Spanish reflexive verbs use me, te, se for actions you do to yourself. Master the daily-routine pattern, pronoun placement, and shifts like dormir vs dormirse.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

Spanish Numbers 1-100: Count, Spell & Pronounce

Spanish numbers 1 to 100 are a system, not a list: three patterns build every number. Master the spelling, the accent rule, and how to say prices fast.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

SpanishNow

How to Tell Time in Spanish: A Beginner's Guide

Tell time in Spanish with one formula: es la una vs son las, y and menos for minutes, plus de la mañana, en punto, and 24-hour station times.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

SpanishNow

Tener in Spanish: Why You're Hungry, Cold & 30 Years

In Spanish you HAVE hunger, cold, and 30 years — not are them. Master tener expressions like tengo hambre, tengo frío, and tengo 30 años in one rule.

June 9, 2026 5 min read