as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved
the heartache she felt when she saw the innocent victims of the war
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Recent Examples of heartache
Years later, the topic remains a source of heartache for Malia.
—
Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Getting attached to players can sometimes bring heartache.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
This is a woman who has lived through heartache, struggled with anxiety, loved and lost, and endured the raw grind of intense therapy to land at her current state of self-acceptance.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
After dropping an overtime heartache to rival Oklahoma in Saturday’s regular-season finale, Texas basketball will have to traverse the SEC Tournament without a first-round bye.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartache
Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
Getting attached to players can sometimes bring heartache.
—Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
This is a woman who has lived through heartache, struggled with anxiety, loved and lost, and endured the raw grind of intense therapy to land at her current state of self-acceptance.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
After dropping an overtime heartache to rival Oklahoma in Saturday’s regular-season finale, Texas basketball will have to traverse the SEC Tournament without a first-round bye.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartache
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartache
Noun
-
Indeed, in Iran the slaughter of protesters by the Iranian Republican guards filled me with sorrow and outrage.—
Dr. Michael Good,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
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As the communities in Maui continue to rebuild their homes and their lives two years after the wildfires killed 102 people, the flooding added to the sorrow.—
Matt Gutman,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Billy Randolph had shaped them and how his death had altered their lives, responses came after long pauses and were choked with grief.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
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Is such an existential shriek into the abyss, all while living in a society suffused by mind-numbing grief and nationalism, worth subjecting yourself to?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But some congregants’ anguish over October 7th was compounded by dread about Israel’s brutal, indiscriminate response.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Accenting the anguish by bizarre apparent coincidence, less than two weeks later the National Basketball Rules Committee reinstated the dunk — it had been banned for nearly a decade at the amateur level.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Three Days of Near-Misses The search was not without heartbreak.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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For more than four decades, the Korean immigrant has worked at the shop near Travis Air Force Base, hearing countless stories of loss, sacrifice and heartbreak from military families and service members.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartache.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartache. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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