ache

1 of 2

verb

ˈāk 

ached; aching

intransitive verb

1

a

: to suffer a usually dull persistent pain

an aching back

b

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

aching with sadness

c

: to feel compassion

My heart aches for those poor people.

2

: to experience a painful eagerness or yearning

He is aching to go.

ache

2 of 2

noun

1

: a usually dull persistent pain

had an ache in his back

2

: a condition marked by aching

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

Synonyms

Verb

• hurt
• pain
• smart

Noun

• pain
• pang
• prick
• shoot
• smart
• sting
• stitch
• throe
• tingle
• twinge

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

Verb

But as much as that pain ached and lingered, it would almost always be preferred to the emotional torment that inspired GUTS. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023

Some chairs offer a zero gravity experience while others only target a limited number of common pain points (like the lower back), potentially leaving your aching neck or weary legs without any relief. —Lauren Wellbank, Woman's Day, 8 Sep. 2023

Though its long length saves your back and knees from aching after a day of weeding, this weeder can leave holes or divots in your grass. —Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2023

This two-in-one massager treats your feet, back, and neck, relieving tension, pain, and aches with all of its amazing features. —Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 29 Aug. 2023

Muscle Pain During Exercise A common sign of PAD is muscle pain, known as claudication, which can include aching, cramping, numbness, and fatigue. —Mary Nolan-Pleckham, Health, 27 Aug. 2023

Three of his fellow members — the drummer Levon Helm, the pianist Richard Manuel and the bassist Rick Danko — expressed those characters in distinctly aching vocals. —Jim Farber, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2023

Massaging your feet, calves, legs, or whatever else is aching improves circulation, reduces tension, and often eases pain, according to Harvard Medical School. —Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 29 Aug. 2023

The aching, simmering ballad recounts a past summer beach romance in an ’88 Ford, with a verse each from the perspective of the two past lovers. —Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2023

Noun

The fifth graders in Lori Brockway’s classroom at Framingham’s McCarthy Elementary School began getting headaches and stomach aches. —Christopher Huffaker, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023

About 20% of people will develop symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, the health department said in a news release. —Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2023

Most people who become infected with the virus don’t get ill, but about 20% experience symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, nausea, skin rash and tiredness, according to the release. —Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023

While many experience no symptoms, those infected can experience head and body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea and rashes, according to the health and human services department. —Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Aug. 2023

Malaria, a potentially deadly illness that causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches and extreme chills, sickened thousands of Americans in the early part of the 20th century. —Erika Edwards, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2023

Symptoms to watch for include fever, muscle aches and tiredness in people who are not pregnant. —Theresa Braine New York Daily News (tns), al, 22 Aug. 2023

This can cause your breasts to ache because those cells have to stretch out to make room. —Kimberly A. Daly, Parents, 21 Aug. 2023

Most people infected with West Nile do not get sick, but about 1 in 5 develop symptoms including fever, headache, body aches, joint pains and vomiting, according to the CDC. —Maia Pandey, NBC News, 25 Aug. 2023

See More

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

Kids Definition

ache

1 of 2 verb

ˈāk 

ached; aching

1

: to suffer a dull persistent pain

2

: 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

1

: a usually dull persistent pain

2

: a condition marked by aching

AChE

3 of 3 abbreviation

acetylcholinesterase