as in extremely
to a great degree
an achingly funny movie
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Recent Examples of achingly
And Malia is also achingly lonesome for her family life, with a sister about to get married and a doting father played, in this headache-inducingly twisty psychodrama’s most refreshing meta-twist, by Romanian director Radu Jude.
—
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 May 2026
The film takes its title from an achingly beautiful ranchera by the late Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, a friend of Almodóvar’s.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Her husband, 58, estranged since 2010, had only achingly kind words in his eulogy.
—Jill Smolowe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
While undoubtedly a difficult watch, Boy Erased is ultimately a story of resilience, with an achingly vulnerable performance by Hedges.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for achingly
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 18 May 2026
The film takes its title from an achingly beautiful ranchera by the late Mexican singer Chavela Vargas, a friend of Almodóvar’s.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Her husband, 58, estranged since 2010, had only achingly kind words in his eulogy.
—Jill Smolowe, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
While undoubtedly a difficult watch, Boy Erased is ultimately a story of resilience, with an achingly vulnerable performance by Hedges.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for achingly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for achingly
Adverb
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Canada and Qatar drew their first matches, making this an extremely important opportunity for their hopes of advancing out of the group stage.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
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All had extremely low omega-3 levels and at least one risk factor for dementia, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure or cholesterol.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
Adverb
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Sinks on the vanity have slanted, green marble angles giving them a trendy look, and the faucet’s water spray is equivalent to a drenching rainfall shower (wide, strong, and incredibly impressive).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
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This combination of technological capability and human ingenuity is incredibly powerful.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
Adverb
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Following their arrival, word spread among law enforcement at Kansas City Stadium (aka Arrowhead) that the King and Queen were en route — and the path to the VVIP (yes, very very) entrance was cleared by FBI officials, who kept fans away from the area.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
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This could look like a very specific cut of a sleeve of a shirt that nods to that time.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
Adverb
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In forming our union, the founders fell terribly short of the declaration's promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who own property.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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But if the film occasionally threatens to float away into its own inaccessible realm, Camp’s witty, doleful performance grounds it with a human dimension, albeit not a terribly warm one.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
19 June 2026
Adverb
-
Made with soft, highly absorbent quick-drying microfiber.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 June 2026
-
The majority of chicken in America is highly processed and cleaned in a chlorine bath.—
The Editors,
Robb Report,
20 June 2026
Adverb
-
Pakistan, which has played a mediation role in US-Iran talks, endorsed the agreement, too, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.—
Pamela Avila,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
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It is supposed to be a great beach party with a bonfire, but it gets rained out, and they are all huddled under an awning wearing too much body glitter and eating from a greige buffet.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Adverb
-
The Targaryen civil war has been a bit of a slow burn so far, though both sides of the family have suffered major casualties.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Growing numbers of Labour MPs called for Starmer to quit, but with Burnham unable to run as party leader – and hence prime minister – since rules and convention state that only serving MPs can do so, no one was willing or able to launch an official challenge.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
19 June 2026
Adverb
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Listening to Gish, recently reissued on vinyl for its 35th anniversary, is a good reminder that the Smashing Pumpkins started out a damned fine rock band.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
2 June 2026
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But Cleveland State was, in fact, a damned good basketball team, as were most of the double-digit seed winners in NCAA Tournament history.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Achingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/achingly. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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