ached; aching
1
a
: to suffer a usually dull persistent pain
an aching back
b
: to become distressed or disturbed (as with anxiety or regret)
aching with sadness
c
: to feel compassion
My heart aches for those poor people.
2
: to experience a painful eagerness or yearning
He is aching to go.
1
: a usually dull persistent pain
had an ache in his back
2
: a condition marked by aching
looked through the old pictures with a dull ache in her heart
Examples of ache in a Sentence
Verb
Her muscles were aching from shoveling snow.
After running the marathon, his body ached for a week.
The candy's so sweet that it makes my teeth ache.
Noun
He had a dull ache in his back from lifting boxes all day.
a dull pounding ache in his head
Recent Examples on the Web
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 12 June 2026
The unconscious Moon in your 4th House of Home conjoins aching Chiron there, highlighting family patterns and house routines that need a kinder, more sustainable approach.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Mpox, a viral illness formerly known as monkeypox, generally starts with flu-like symptoms – fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, headaches and backaches.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ache
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Verb
But, as fans already know, that perky veneer is often a shroud over her aching vulnerability, which is spotlighted with intensity on her melodically mature third album, out now.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 12 June 2026
The unconscious Moon in your 4th House of Home conjoins aching Chiron there, highlighting family patterns and house routines that need a kinder, more sustainable approach.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2026
Noun
The loss of Joseph Ossai might sting a little, but the potential production from Maye and Lawrence should dull the ache.
—Gladys Louise Tyler, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Mpox, a viral illness formerly known as monkeypox, generally starts with flu-like symptoms – fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, headaches and backaches.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ache
Cite this Entry
“Ache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ache. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
ache
2 of 3 noun1
: a usually dull persistent pain
2
: a condition marked by aching
AChE
3 of 3 abbreviation
acetylcholinesterase
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