heartburn

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noun heart·burn \ ˈhärt-ˌbərn \

Definition of heartburn

:a burning discomfort behind the lower part of the sternum due especially to spasmodic reflux of acid from the stomach into the esophagus

See heartburn defined for English-language learners

See heartburn defined for kids

Examples of heartburn in a Sentence

I like spicy food, but it gives me heartburn.

Recent Examples of heartburn from the Web

Others expressed heartburn with a facility so close to Woodland Elementary School, which is around the corner.

— luke money, Daily Pilot, "4 sober-living homes are rejected by Costa Mesa Planning Commission," 29 Aug. 2017
A. Baking soda and ginger both have a long history as treatments for heartburn.

— teresa graedon, The Seattle Times, "Homemade ‘ginger ale’ calms upset stomach," 27 Aug. 2017
UnitedHealth, Humana top insurers in private Medicare plans Aetna, Cigna, Anthem and plenty of startups are in pursuit The turmoil around the Affordable Care Act has created heartburn for health insurers.

— zachary tracer, Bloomberg.com, "Insurers Think They’ve Found the Perfect Patients for Profits," 4 Aug. 2017
Choosing McCaul would confirm that despite all the heartburn over health-care legislation, the Trump administration thinks of congressional Republicans as its close and natural allies.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Kris Kobach Wants a Promotion. But Will He Run for Governor or Join Trump’s Cabinet?," 31 July 2017
The doctor gave him omeprazole for heartburn and Zofran for nausea.

— casey parks, OregonLive.com, "About A Boy: A transgender teen at the tipping point," 28 July 2017
Avoid spicy or very heavy foods in the evening to prevent heartburn or digestive issues.

— jae berman, charlotteobserver, "Not reaching your wellness goals? Take a look at your nighttime routine," 19 July 2017
But are the risks concerning enough for people who need heartburn relief to stop taking PPIs?

— alice park, Time, "These Heartburn Drugs Are Linked to a Higher Risk of Early Death," 5 July 2017
Acid reducers treat painful ailments including GERD (gastroesophogeal reflux disease), heartburn and peptic ulcers.

— bradley j. fikes, chicagotribune.com, "Popular stomach acid blockers linked to higher death rates," 3 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'heartburn.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of heartburn

15th century

HEARTBURN Defined for English Language Learners

heartburn

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noun

Definition of heartburn for English Language Learners

: an unpleasant hot feeling in your chest caused by something that you ate

Medical Dictionary

heartburn

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noun heart·burn \ -ˌbərn \

medical Definition of heartburn

:a burning discomfort behind the lower part of the sternum usually related to spasm of the lower end of the esophagus or of the upper part of the stomach often in association with gastroesophageal reflux — called also cardialgia, pyrosis; compare water brash