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.
Related Words
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