heartache

noun

ˈhärt-ˌāk How to pronounce heartache (audio)
Definition of heartachenext
as in sorrow
deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved the heartache she felt when she saw the innocent victims of the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 heartache As World Cup knockout round games near, many American fans are leaning into the idea of a winning team after years of heartache. — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 27 June 2026 Since then, it's been decades of heartache offset by pockets of championship glory, with some of the most pivotal figures in American sports history. — Ryan Baker, CBS News, 22 June 2026 Ending the show with one final jump affirms that there’s no future in which the Landry family is done with time traveling, despite the trauma and heartache the pond has delivered with its gift. — Megan Vick, Variety, 22 June 2026 The documentary, which lands in theaters this weekend, creates a time capsule of videos, memories and eloquent observations that add up to work of incredible beauty and heartache. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for heartache
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartache
  1. sorrow
  2. grief
  3. anguish
  4. heartbreak
Noun
  • President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the crash and offered condolences to the victims' families.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • Croatia’s World Cup exit was not without a fight, with a last-minute, stoppage time goal that likely had fans screaming at the TV in jubilation, and then in sorrow.
    — Alex Connor, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of sorrow
Noun
  • After learning that her friend Shannon’s mother has died in a car accident, Elle is suddenly facing her first real encounter with grief and, unable to sit with it, throws herself into planning the memorial, down to selecting the music.
    — Angelina Mazza, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • This town has known seasons of many stripes, from that autumn of grief after 9/11 to that spring of solitude and trepidation as COVID-19 first emerged.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of grief
Noun
  • Some mourners, gathering at the funeral of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Saturday, expressed both anguish and a desire for vengeance.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • And with that decision, the company narrowed the chance that the mother’s anguish could draw attention to any danger the formula might pose to other infants.
    — David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • It’s been a long time coming Swift’s music has served as the soundtrack to a generation of adolescent heartbreaks and coming of age crises.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • Over the course of 12 original studio albums, the 14-time Grammy winner has chronicled heartbreaks and happily-ever-afters that have made her one of the most celebrated songwriters of her generation.
    — Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of heartbreak

Browse Nearby Words

heart
heartache
heartbeat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heartache.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartache. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on heartache

Nglish: Translation of heartache for Spanish Speakers

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