Meanings
nounpain in the arse (plural pains in the arse)
plural pains in the arse · alternative pain in the ass
- CommonwealthIrelandUKsometimes considered vulgarSomeone or something that is annoying or frustrating.
You really are a pain in the arse, aren't you (laugh track)? The PM is going up the wall! Hitting the roof! You can't go around making speeches like that.
1980 February 25, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “Open Government”, in Yes Minister, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Vic Gould (Edward Jewesbury)Synonyms: drag
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomeone or something that is annoying or frustrating.
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APA
pain in the arse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pain%20in%20the%20arse
MLA
“pain in the arse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pain%20in%20the%20arse. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pain in the arse,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pain%20in%20the%20arse.
Source: pain in the arse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.