heartburn

noun heart·burn \ ˈhärt-ˌbərn \

|Updated on: 19 Jul 2018

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

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Examples of heartburn in a Sentence

I like spicy food, but it gives me heartburn.

Recent Examples of heartburn from the Web

Other side effects of competitive eating include nausea, painful gas, vomiting, heartburn and diarrhea.

— amy kraft, CBS News, "How competitive eaters do it – and what it does to them," 4 July 2018
This may bring Milwaukee Brewers fans heartburn, but yes, castoff Scooter Gennett is now the best second baseman in the National League.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Yes, Brewers fans, Scooter Gennett is now the best second baseman in the National League (and ex-Brewers are also helping Mariners)," 28 June 2018
Since my cronic heartburn makes tomato sauce forbidden, personal pizzas are the way to go.

— kim walker, Woman's Day, "Potato and Green Bean Pizza," 20 Dec. 2011
Click to Read Story A Surprise Medical Solution: Hypnosis Major hospitals are finding hypnotherapy can help sufferers of digestive conditions like heartburn, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome.

— sumathi reddy, WSJ, "From Meditation to Medication: Headspace Has a Prescription Strategy," 25 June 2018
Passing the first round of tax cuts is a move that is already giving budget hawks heartburn -- though not enough to vote against it.

— z. byron wolf, CNN, "Trump wants to cut taxes. Again. He just cut taxes.," 23 May 2018
The success of very liberal candidates in primaries across four states is causing a new bout of heartburn among party strategists in Washington, who worry about unelectable activists thwarting their drive for the House majority.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: The far left is winning the Democratic civil war," 16 May 2018
Councilwoman Elaine Clegg, especially, expressed some heartburn over the fact that the sky bridge would cover up public space above the street to primarily benefit private residents and other users of the building.

— sven berg, idahostatesman, "Boise council wants fellow member, developer Ludwig to change Central Addition project," 5 June 2018
This may lead to heartburn inside the Pentagon—especially if cost estimates soar by tens of millions with the stroke of a keyboard.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Pentagon Doesn't Know How Much Anything Costs," 4 June 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.

First Known Use of heartburn

15th century

in the meaning defined above

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HEARTBURN Defined for English Language Learners

heartburn

noun

Definition of heartburn for English Language Learners

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

Medical 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