be at pains to do sth

B b

Definition of be at pains to do sth words

phrase be at pains to do sth If someone is at pains to do something, they are very eager and anxious to do it, especially because they want to avoid a difficult situation. 3

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 90% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

Was this page helpful?

Yes No

Thank you for your feedback! Tell your friends about this page

Tell us why?