heartburn
Americannoun
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an uneasy burning sensation in the stomach, typically extending toward the esophagus, and sometimes associated with the eructation of an acid fluid.
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bitter jealousy; envy.
noun
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A burning sensation, usually centered in the middle of the chest near the sternum, caused by the reflux of acidic stomach fluids that enter the lower end of the esophagus.
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Also called acid reflux
Etymology
Origin of heartburn
First recorded in 1590–1600; translation of Greek kardialgía; heart + burn 1
Explanation
Heartburn is an uncomfortable form of indigestion that feels like a burning in your chest. You might experience heartburn after eating twelve slices of pizza for dinner. People with a tendency to get heartburn often start to feel a painful sensation after they eat. Heartburn can begin as an acidic feeling in your stomach that moves up into your upper chest. It happens when gastric acid is regurgitated into the esophagus, and it can also be called "acid indigestion." The original, thirteenth century meaning of heartburn was "lust," but by the fifteenth century it had come to have today's meaning of "indigestion."
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.
They also all prompt a lot of heartburn about races over the past decade that fell short despite initial signs of promise and alluring polling numbers the September before the election.
From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026
And coasting into the next phase of this tournament isn’t just a salve for the heartburn that the Americans tend to give their own fans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
They have bloating, heartburn and other digestive issues.
From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026
“It would have saved us a lot of heartburn and grief. Would it have changed the ultimate outcome of the case? Probably not.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2024
The heartburn brought tears to his eyes, so that his image of Campbell was distorted by jiggling lenses of salt water.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
