Phrase guide

pain in the butt

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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noun

Meaning 1

A nuisance; a source of trouble or annoyance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, informal

Examples

The customers love it, but the employees think the new system is a pain in the butt.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Word forms

Inflections and variants

pains in the butt — plural

Word family

Derived and related words

Derived: none provided

Related: proctalgia, headache

Semantic map

Other relationships

Sources

Where this information comes from

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