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penoso

painful, distressing

adjective peh-NOH-soh Rare

Origin: From Latin poena (punishment, pain).

Also means

embarrassing

Usage Note

Penoso carries two distinct registers: it can describe something genuinely sorrowful or difficult (una situación penosa) or, in colloquial Latin American Spanish, something embarrassingly bad or cringe-worthy (¡Qué penoso!). The second sense is more common in Mexico and Central America; in Spain penoso leans toward 'laborious' or 'distressing'.

Examples

"Fue un momento muy penoso para todos."

Natural Translation

It was a very painful moment for everyone.

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