ache
verb (used without object)
to have or suffer a continuous, dull pain.
was aching
-
past progressiveof ache.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
By the second day, her neck was aching and she was taking migraine medication to ward off headaches caused by intense microscope light.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
After too much time in New York, I was aching for Alpine meadows, ancient forests and the rural landscape of my Swiss childhood.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 9, 2022
He’d had a bad cough for three days, and her back was aching.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2022
Country artist Suzy Bogguss shared a photograph of Griffith on Instagram and said her "heart was aching" with the loss.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2021
Her eyes had dark shadows beneath them and her head was aching.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
