- be at pains
- {v. phr.} To be extremely desirous to do something; to take the trouble to do something. * /The captain was at pains to see that everybody got safely into the lifeboats./
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
be at pains
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Pains — (p[=a]nz), n. Labor; toilsome effort; care or trouble taken; plural in form, but used with a singular or plural verb, commonly the former. [1913 Webster] And all my pains is sorted to no proof. Shak. [1913 Webster] The pains they had taken was… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
pains — pains; pains·tak·ing; pains·tak·ing·ly; pains·tak·ing·ness; … English syllables
pains´tak´ing|ly — pains|tak|ing «PAYNZ TAY kihng», adjective, noun. –adj. 1. very careful; particular; scrupulous: »a painstaking writer. SYNONYM(S): assiduous. 2. marked or characterized by attentive care; carefully done: »a painstaking reproduction. –n. the… … Useful english dictionary
pains|tak|ing — «PAYNZ TAY kihng», adjective, noun. –adj. 1. very careful; particular; scrupulous: »a painstaking writer. SYNONYM(S): assiduous. 2. marked or characterized by attentive care; carefully done: »a painstaking reproduction. –n. the taking of pains;… … Useful english dictionary
Pains, Minas Gerais — Pains is a Brazilian municipality located in the center of the state of Minas Gerais. Its population as of 2007 was 8,122 people living in a total area of 418 km². The city belongs to the meso region of Oeste de Minas and to the micro region of… … Wikipedia
pains — index burden, effort, endeavor, labor (exertion), struggle Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
pains — *effort, exertion, trouble Analogous words: labor, toil, travail, *work: industriousness or industry, diligence, sedulousness, assiduousness (see corresponding adjectives at BUSY) … New Dictionary of Synonyms
pains'takingly — adverb • • • Main Entry: ↑pain … Useful english dictionary
pains — noun an effortful attempt to attain a goal (Freq. 4) • Syn: ↑striving, ↑nisus, ↑strain • Derivationally related forms: ↑strenuous (for: ↑strain), ↑ … Useful english dictionary
pains — n. trouble 1) to go to, spare no, take pains to + inf. (she took great pains to get her message across) physical suffering 2) (med.) labor pains 3) growing * * * take pains to + inf. (she took great pains to get her message across) [ physical… … Combinatory dictionary
Pains, growing — Mysterious pains in growing children, usually in the legs. These pains are similar to what the weekend gardener suffers from on Monday—an overuse type of problem. If in playing, children exceed their regular threshold, they will be sore,… … Medical dictionary
