Idiom
no pain, no gain
Meanings
You have to work hard or tolerate discomfort to make progress or achieve success.
Definition
The idea that you must work hard or endure difficulty to achieve progress or success.
"No pain, no gain" means that improvement usually requires effort, discomfort, or sacrifice. People often say it about exercise, learning, or career goals. It suggests that easy results are rare and that struggle can be part of growth.
Examples
- I didn’t want to wake up early to run, but no pain, no gain.
- She kept practicing the piano scales—no pain, no gain.
- The training was tough, yet he reminded himself: no pain, no gain.
- No pain, no gain, so they stayed late to finish the project.