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aching (for)

verb

Definition of aching (for)next
present participle of ache (for)
1
as in feeling (for)
to have sympathy for I ache for those people who have to spend the holidays alone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in craving
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 aching (for)
  1. pitying
  2. craving
  3. wanting
Verb
  • There is nothing pitying and also nothing airbrushed in the pictures—just the occasional haze of a misty morning or the blurry tremor of a burning brush pile.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • Twenty-first-century indie shaped the identities of many Millennials, but it’s now often talked about with pitying nostalgia—as the bygone style of hipsters with handlebar mustaches pretending to be countercultural while making easy-listening music for hotel lobbies.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
Definition of pitying
Verb
  • In their new home, the past clings to Everton; restless, a bad joke, craving more, loud, glorious.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • This is a vehicle for anyone craving intense driving dynamics from an unusual, innovative machine that blends a car’s stability with much of the excitement and exposure of a motorcycle.
    — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of craving
Verb
  • If a ticket is purchased to listen to an entertainer sing songs, that does not extend to wanting to hear the entertainer share personal political or religious beliefs.
    — Letters to the Editor, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2026
  • She can’t be faulted, then, for not wanting to take artistic advice from Stan Twitter.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of wanting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

aching
aching (for)
achingly
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Cite this Entry

“Aching (for).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aching%20%28for%29. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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