ache
Americanverb (used without object)
-
aches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
ached,
past participle, past
-
aching
present participle
-
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
-
aches
plural
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
achesimple
-
achessimple
-
have achedperfect
-
has achedperfect
-
am achingprogressive
-
are achingprogressive
-
is achingprogressive
-
have been achingperfect progressive
-
has been achingperfect progressive
Past
-
achedsimple
-
had achedperfect
-
was achingprogressive
-
were achingprogressive
-
had been achingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
“It’s about the ache of growing up … and that we get to grow up at all,” Bareilles said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Luke's family said the Sunderland fan was caring and loved their dog Wilf, adding their hearts would "ache forever".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Now, I ache a little when I think about those refusals.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
"It's tough work... the hardest part is carrying the seaweed back. It's very heavy and your shoulders ache afterwards."
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The coldness in the way he was always described as “the subject” or “the infant,” and never “my child,” or even the thing he was most hoping for...his real name, made Coal’s chest ache.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
That is, until a few hours later when those uncomfortable muscle aches start setting in.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
The team, in conversation with Ohtani, failed to manage his workload and aches and pains in a way that would be sustainable for more of the year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
She is in her late 70s and complains of nagging aches and pains, neuropathy, fatigue, anxiety, and occasional changes in her weight.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
In painful detail, she described the splitting headaches, body aches, chills, high fevers and hallucinations that had tormented her for days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
My spine aches in pain, but Nansi’s not done.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
She wrote that her heart ached most looking at a poster her three children made when they were young.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Before Edward and Bella took over the world, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” viewers ached for David Boreanaz’s Angel and James Marsters’ Spike, centuries-old bros who fall for a very special high school blonde.
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026
Those ached more than stung and left me completely voiceless for the following 24 hours.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026
"My heart ached, and I could only pray: 'God, please don't let that happen.'"
From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2025
My head ached as though I had been struck a blow.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Some go their whole lives searching for it, aching to find where they belong, or what gives them purpose.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
The painkiller is usually prescribed for relatively minor conditions, such as aching joints or people recovering from surgery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
"My shifts at work landed on the same days, too. During my morning shower, I felt faint; I had to be realistic and call in sick. My body was completely exhausted, aching and cramping."
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Injuries and exhaustion have him aching to retire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Panting, I hauled my aching legs out of the water, locked them around the branch, and maneuvered myself into a sitting position.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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