ache

1 of 2

verb

ˈāk

ached; aching

Synonyms of ache next

intransitive verb

: to suffer a usually dull persistent pain

an aching back

: to become distressed or disturbed (as with anxiety or regret)

aching with sadness

: to feel compassion

My heart aches for those poor people.

: to experience a painful eagerness or yearning

He is aching to go.

ache

2 of 2

noun

: a usually dull persistent pain

had an ache in his back

: a condition marked by aching

looked through the old pictures with a dull ache in her heart

Examples of ache in a Sentence

Verb Her muscles were aching from shoveling snow. After running the marathon, his body ached for a week. The candy's so sweet that it makes my teeth ache. Noun He had a dull ache in his back from lifting boxes all day. a dull pounding ache in his head

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Verb

My heart aches for his family, friends and teammates. —

Kerry Breen, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2024 My muscles groaned against the weight of the skin around them, aching to be set loose. —

Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024

Noun

People who aren’t pregnant can expect fever, muscle aches and fatigue that feel like the flu, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures. —

Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024 Some individuals may also develop fevers, body aches and other flu-like symptoms. —

Katia Hetter, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ache

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English aken, going back to Old English acan, of uncertain origin

Note: Originally a Class VI strong verb, to judge by Middle English past tense forms such as eoc, ok, etc. (no preterit forms are attested in Old English). There is no counterpart to the verb in other Germanic languages, and words adduced as possible relatives (e.g., Middle Dutch akel "harm, injury, grief," Middle Low German ēken "to fester") are formally and semantically only vaguely comparable. Regarding the spelling see note at ache entry 2.

Noun

Middle English, going back to Old English æce, ece, noun derivative from the base of acan "to ache entry 1"

Note: The spelling with -ch-, reflecting the historical pronunciation of the noun, has spread to the verb, while the pronunciation of the verb with [k], continued from Old English, has spread to the noun since late Middle English. The persistence of the spelling with -ch- may have been influenced by Samuel Johnson's mistaken notion that the word derived from Greek áchos "pain, distress."

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of ache was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ache. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

ache

1 of 2 verb

ˈāk

ached; aching

: to suffer a dull persistent pain

: to long painfully : yearn

ache

2 of 2 noun

: a dull persistent pain

achy

ˈā-kē

adjective

Medical Definition

ache

1 of 3 intransitive verb

ˈāk

ached; aching

: to suffer a usually dull persistent pain

ache

2 of 3 noun

: a usually dull persistent pain

: a condition marked by aching

AChE

3 of 3 abbreviation

acetylcholinesterase

Last Updated: 28 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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ache

verb

noun

Synonyms

Examples of ache in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near ache

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition