heartache
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heartache
before 1000; Middle English hert ache, Old English heort ece; see heart, ache
Explanation
The death of your beloved cat may cause you heartache, or a powerful feeling of loss and sadness. Heartache is often caused by the grief of losing someone you love. Although it doesn't necessarily cause physical discomfort, heartache is an emotionally painful experience. You feel heartache when you lose a loved one, especially when the person you love dies, or when it's impossible for you to be together. Shakespearean tragedies are famously full of heartache. The root of heartache is the Old English heortece, which originally meant a literal "physical pain in the heart," and later came to mean "anguish."
Vocabulary lists containing heartache
Vocabulary from Langston Hughes's "Jazz as Communication"
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American Street
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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.
“It’s with great sadness and heartache to announce the passing of my sweet dear Alex Ligertwood, my husband of 25 years, we knew each other for 36 years,” Brogan wrote.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
Bellamy, however, wants his team to put their World Cup heartache to one side on Tuesday and give a good account of themselves against opponents 35 places below them in the world rankings.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
“The heartache, the times when I was hungry. My whole journey was: I have to learn how to figure it out.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
Whatever happens, investors should remember that there is potential for heartache, too, when using stocks to bet on the outcome of an event.
From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026
There’s so much heartache in his voice that I almost go to him, almost offer what little comfort I can.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
