ache
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to have or suffer a continuous, dull pain.
His whole body ached.
- Synonyms:
- hurt
-
to feel great sympathy, pity, or the like.
Her heart ached for the starving animals.
-
to feel eager; yearn; long.
She ached to be the champion. He's just aching to get even.
noun
verb
-
to feel, suffer, or be the source of a continuous dull pain
-
to suffer mental anguish
noun
Synonym Usage
See pain.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have achedperfect
-
has achedperfect 3rd person singular
-
is achingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been achingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am achingprogressive 1st person singular
-
achessingular 3rd person
-
achingparticiple
-
are achingprogressive
-
have been achingperfect progressive
Past
-
had achedperfect
-
was achingprogressive singular
-
had been achingperfect progressive
-
were achingprogressive plural
-
achedsimple
-
achedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of ache
before 900; (v.) Middle English aken, Old English acan; perhaps metaphoric use of earlier unattested sense “drive, impel” (compare Old Norse aka, cognate with Latin agere, Greek ágein ); (noun) derivative of the v.
Explanation
An ache is a dull, lingering pain. An ache in your calves after your morning jog might mean you didn't stretch enough before you started running. You might describe your discomfort as a head ache or a stomach ache — in either case, there's a throbbing or continuous pain. A non-physical hurt can also be called an ache, and you can use the word as a verb in either case: "It feels like my heart will ache forever, since my sweet cat died." The Old English root is acan, "to suffer pain," possibly from an imitative Proto-Indo-European word that sounds like a groan.
Vocabulary lists containing ache
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Arnaldi described how he became ill on Thursday night, waking up with stomach ache at about 1am.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
She presents her daughter’s sudden death in crisp, often tart prose that cannot mask the ache that lurks beneath the surface.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
In retrospect, taken collectively, much of McCarthy’s work as an actor, filmmaker and journalist hinges on the friendship motif — that primordial ache to belong, that yearning to be seen.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
"We cannot grieve; we can only ache and wonder. Our focus is solely on finding her and bringing her home."
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
And in that moment the old, cold ache in his heart melted away like snow before the fire, leaving no trace behind.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
