ACHING Synonyms: 177 Similar and Opposite Words

aching 1 of 2

adjective

ˈā-kiŋ

Definition of aching

as in sore

causing or feeling bodily pain my poor, aching back

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in weeping

expressing or suggesting mourning another one of those aching country songs about a woman who done him wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

aching

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ache

as in hurting

to feel or cause physical pain my feet ache from all that walking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of aching

Adjective

The dramatic and aching second movement, according to Egarr, may have been a love letter to one of Beethoven’s romantic interests. — Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 21 Feb. 2026 And no matter what the ultimate tally, every individual is an aching, terrible loss. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026

Verb

Packing shoes that leave your feet aching halfway through the day. — Kaitlin Marks, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2026 Neck aching after a day of scrolling, texting and staring at screens? — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for aching

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aching

Adjective

When Overshown had to miss a team period on Monday with a sore leg, Barham was even trusted to take on green-dot communicator responsibilities.

— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2026
Public safety has been somewhat of a sore spot for the 34-year-old mayor, who faced criticism from both the left and right on the matter.

— Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of sore

Adjective

And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.

— David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.

— Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021

Definition of weeping

Adjective

But for Tran’s family, the arrest revisited a painful, complicated chapter of their lives.

— Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Many have called for empathy and compassion for the situation, while others struggle to reconcile calls for grace with Hilton’s history of profiting from celebrities’ most painful moments.

— Krystie Lee Yandoli, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of painful

Adjective

Since his siblings were crying with the same mournful expression, clinging to their father’s corpse, Shoichiro willed himself to cry too, and the tears came immediately.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
But there’s something mournful, something searching about his statement, too.

— Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 24 July 2026

Definition of mournful

Verb

Pain, numbness or tingling in the lower extremities can point to an orthopedic issue, but the same sensations can also signal prostate cancer that has spread.

— Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Symptoms can include arm or leg pain, numbness, weakness and tingling, and Mayo Clinic advises calling a doctor if pain in the neck or back spreads to an arm or leg.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 July 2026