1
as in to pity
to have sympathy for
I ache for those people who have to spend the holidays alone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to crave
to have an earnest wish to own or enjoy
aching for some quiet time to himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ache (for)
Verb
-
Don't pity me too much, though—I've compiled a few secrets from expert travelers on how to make the most of my time in the middle seat.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026 -
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.—
Kevin Sherrington,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Make them for your next spooky activity or if your craving a pumpkin treat at home.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
-
February 19 – March 20 Your tender heart may crave creature comforts.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ziegler’s humor and sympathy for her characters—including Creon, who desperately wants to do right by everyone—saves the conflict between individual and state from heavy-handedness.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
For her window display at the new Toast store in West Hollywood, artist Kyna Payawal wanted to entice pedestrians to stay and linger.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Ache (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ache%20%28for%29. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
