achingly

adverb

ach·​ing·​ly ˈā-kiŋ-lē 

1

: in an aching manner

achingly sad songs

2

: extremely, exceedingly

achingly complicated

Synonyms

• almighty
• archly
• awful
• awfully
• badly
• beastly
• blisteringly
• bone
• colossally
• corking
• cracking
• damn
• damned
• dang
• deadly
• desperately
• eminently
• enormously
• especially
• ever
• exceedingly
• exceeding
• extra
• extremely
• fabulously
• fantastically
• far
• fiercely
• filthy
• frightfully
• full
• greatly
• heavily
• highly
• hugely
• immensely
• incredibly
• intensely
• jolly
• majorly
• mightily
• mighty
• monstrous [chiefly dialect]
• mortally
• most
• much
• particularly
• passing
• rattling
• real
• really
• right
• roaring
• roaringly
• seriously
• severely
• so
• sore
• sorely
• spanking
• specially
• stinking
• such
• super
• supremely
• surpassingly
• terribly
• that
• thumping
• too
• unco
• uncommonly
• vastly
• very
• vitally
• way
• whacking
• wicked
• wildly

Examples of achingly in a Sentence

an achingly funny movie

Recent Examples on the Web

For the audience, Laurie’s feelings were achingly real—and disquietingly uncomfortable. —Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 7 Apr. 2025

While quiet luxury is still holding its ground, with comfort sandals taking on an achingly chic pragmatism, other trends are swinging in the opposite direction — from nostalgic gladiators and clogs to snake prints slithering in as the new neutral. —Laura Lajiness Kaupke, refinery29.com, 21 Mar. 2025

Some of these achingly beautiful images look like paintings come to life briefly on celluloid. —Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 29 Mar. 2025

Gaga later sings a hopeful yet achingly desperate take on Joker, but the Harlequin version is one of the album’s most spectacular recordings. —Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

aching + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for achingly

• breathtakingly
• painstakingly