pain point
noun
plural pain points
: a persistent or recurring problem (as with a product or service) that frequently inconveniences or annoys customers
When you're in an established market, you have an established customer; their needs and pain points are clearly laid out on your competitors' review sites.—Billy Polson
Customer service, which has been a pain point of bigger banks for years, is also improving in that it's getting faster and requires little from you.—Chris Welch
broadly
: something that is a recurring source of trouble, annoyance, or distress
One generation's parenting gospel often becomes another's pain point. —Lynda Lin Grigsby
Meanwhile, ironing is a pain point with her boyfriend because she loves the look of a crisply pressed men's shirt. "He never irons his shirts and it drives me crazy," she [Elyse Moody] says. —Jura Konicus
Cite this Entry
“Pain point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pain%20point. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.
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