heartburn

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

Examples of heartburn in a Sentence

I like spicy food, but it gives me heartburn.

Recent Examples on the Web

These include proton pump inhibitors to improve heartburn symptoms, steroids, NSAIDs, and blood pressure medications. — Lambeth Hochwald, Health.com, "What Is Scleroderma—and How Can I Tell If I Have It?," 21 June 2019 Martinez said the location of a medical school, deemed key to raising the Valley’s low number of physicians, also caused some heartburn. — Lynn Brezosky, ExpressNews.com, "Rio Grande Valley merger expected to help land more road dollars," 28 June 2019 And that similarity is what has given university officials heartburn. — Jeffrey Mervis, Science | AAAS, "House panel clarifies how universities would report sexual harassment cases to U.S. funders," 21 June 2019 Also, if your heartburn comes out of nowhere or is suddenly way worse, definitely discuss that with your doctor ASAP. — Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, "10 Ways to Actually Get Some Sleep When You're Pregnant—From People Who Have Been There," 23 May 2019 The heartburn over the price of bathrooms comes as the number of people living on the streets has surged. — Emily Alpert Reyes, latimes.com, "$339,000 for a restroom? L.A. politicians balk at the cost of toilets for homeless people," 10 June 2019 These kinds of meds work to neutralize the stomach acid underlying heartburn, the Mayo Clinic explains. — Cassie Shortsleeve, SELF, "7 Ways to Feel Better in Your First Trimester From People Who Have Been There," 31 May 2019 This is a lesson the restaurant business is learning as eateries struggle to draw diners through the door or the drive-through and look to food-delivery apps to soothe the financial heartburn. — John D. Stoll, WSJ, "Soggy Fries vs. Sagging Profits: Restaurants Face Delivery Dilemma," 7 Feb. 2019 As a not-at-all-welcome bonus, heartburn can also cause excessive burping. — Korin Miller, SELF, "6 Gastrointestinal Issues That Can Affect You During Pregnancy," 14 Dec. 2018

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.

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Last Updated

19 Jul 2019

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The first known use of heartburn was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for heartburn

heartburn

noun

English Language Learners Definition of heartburn

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

See the full definition for heartburn in the English Language Learners Dictionary

heartburn

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