as in hurt
to feel or cause physical pain
my feet ache from all that walking
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Recent Examples of ached
His abdomen and back ached from constant dry heaves.
—
Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
My heart ached for him and his mother, who held him tightly.
—Janet Rich Edwards, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
Yasmin’s back ached from the long hours, the weight of her seven-month pregnancy pressing heavily on her body.
—Ahmed Naji, The Dial, 18 Nov. 2025
His groin ached as if Sister Wang had been clutching him for years.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Smigiel’s right shoulder and elbow ached?
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
My vanity ached at the thought.
—Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
Advertisement During captivity Sharabi ached for his life in Be’eri—which as a kibbutz, or commune, is the original expression of the interdependence on which Israel functions.
—Eli Sharabi, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Miller's heart ached for his city.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
My heart ached for him and his mother, who held him tightly.
—Janet Rich Edwards, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
Yasmin’s back ached from the long hours, the weight of her seven-month pregnancy pressing heavily on her body.
—Ahmed Naji, The Dial, 18 Nov. 2025
His groin ached as if Sister Wang had been clutching him for years.
—Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Smigiel’s right shoulder and elbow ached?
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
My vanity ached at the thought.
—Susan Orlean, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2025
Advertisement During captivity Sharabi ached for his life in Be’eri—which as a kibbutz, or commune, is the original expression of the interdependence on which Israel functions.
—Eli Sharabi, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Miller's heart ached for his city.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ached
Verb
-
One later pleaded guilty to violent civil rights violations in federal court, and two others were convicted either of hurting a man without cause or conspiring to violate civil rights.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
-
The turnovers definitely hurt, especially at any swing moment.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The memory of them throbbed like a splinter that had never been removed.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The upper blocks throbbed and pulsed a deep blue, reflecting the pond’s windblown currents.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The only recourse those unregulated bookmakers had when their Spidey-senses tingled was to simply stop taking bets on the suspicious game.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
McNally is still pained by her death.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
His facial expressions are often pained or bemused.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ached. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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