as in hurt
to feel or cause physical pain
my feet ache from all that walking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ached
The feeling overwhelmed him even as his jaw ached and his throat compressed in the second quarter of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 114-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Sunday.
—
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Her knees, back, and hands ached.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
His hip ached with soreness, his right ankle left bruised as his rehabilitation process stalled longer than anticipated as the Lakers cleared the drawing board.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Gnats chewed his face and neck, a root dug into his rear, and his arms ached from holding his gun up.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
The next morning, my joints ached as if I had been struck repeatedly with a bag of wet sand.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Was that his real face, the face that ached?
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
That hand must have ached profoundly by the time the group departed.
—Harold Holzer, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
As his wrist and back still ached from the treehouse fall, Smith’s heart broke next.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Her knees, back, and hands ached.
—Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
His hip ached with soreness, his right ankle left bruised as his rehabilitation process stalled longer than anticipated as the Lakers cleared the drawing board.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 22 Apr. 2026
Gnats chewed his face and neck, a root dug into his rear, and his arms ached from holding his gun up.
—Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
The next morning, my joints ached as if I had been struck repeatedly with a bag of wet sand.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Was that his real face, the face that ached?
—Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2026
That hand must have ached profoundly by the time the group departed.
—Harold Holzer, New York Daily News, 8 Feb. 2026
As his wrist and back still ached from the treehouse fall, Smith’s heart broke next.
—Andrew Callahan, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ached
Verb
-
Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers left the game mid at-bat in the eighth inning after hurting his wrist on a foul-ball swing.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
19 May 2026
-
Missing debt payments can hurt your credit score relatively quickly, particularly if accounts become 30 or 60 days past due.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Her hand and arm cramped, her shoulder ached, and her knee throbbed, all while the rain soaked through their clothes.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The upper blocks throbbed and pulsed a deep blue, reflecting the pond’s windblown currents.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The only recourse those unregulated bookmakers had when their Spidey-senses tingled was to simply stop taking bets on the suspicious game.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The emotions ran raw, Grace told Hannity, but other aspects of the case pained her, too.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But the record is far less gothic than its predecessor, less obviously pained.—
Ben Cardew,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ached.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ached. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
