'pain-producing' originates from Modern English, specifically a compound of the noun 'pain' and the present-participle 'producing'; 'pain' ultimately comes from Latin 'poena' (via Old French 'peine') meaning 'punishment' or 'pain', and 'produce' comes from Latin 'producere', where 'pro-' meant 'forth' and 'ducere' meant 'to lead'.

'pain' evolved from Old French 'peine' (from Latin 'poena'); 'produce' derived from Latin 'producere' and entered English through Old French/Latin influences. The compound 'pain-producing' is a relatively recent English formation combining these elements to describe something that produces pain.

Initially, 'pain' could mean 'punishment' or 'suffering' and 'produce' meant 'to lead forth'; over time the compound developed the straightforward descriptive meaning 'causing pain'.