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Definitions

ache

[eyk] / eɪk /


VERB
feeling soreness or dull pain, often physical
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"It's tough work... the hardest part is carrying the seaweed back. It's very heavy and your shoulders ache afterwards."

From Barron's Jun. 30, 2026

Good TV is the product of many hands working harmoniously to merge visuals, writing and performance into stories that breathe, laugh and ache along with you.

From Salon Jun. 20, 2026

That mix of discouragement and discontent surfaced repeatedly, like a dull ache, in conversations with dozens of voters across the San Gabriel Valley.

From Los Angeles Times May 17, 2026

She presents her daughter’s sudden death in crisp, often tart prose that cannot mask the ache that lurks beneath the surface.

From The Wall Street Journal May 8, 2026

Something about this particular memory made her shake her head, stifle a laugh, and stare out the window with a wide smile—like the opposite of an ache, more like a relief.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

However, around one in five people who are infected develop a fever and moderate symptoms such as body aches, vomiting and diarrhea.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 21, 2026

Freeman did not undergo any imaging on his various aches and pains, although he said head athletic trainer Thomas Albert asked if he felt like he needed any.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2026

These include repeatedly waking up throughout the night to relieve himself and "stomach aches real bad".

From BBC Jul. 24, 2026

The researchers emphasized that their work focuses only on serious muscle disorders that result in hospital admission or death, not the milder muscle aches and pains that some people experience.

From Science Daily Jun. 30, 2026

My stomach aches, and I’ll be surprised if Zara still has a voice.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

She wrote that her heart ached most looking at a poster her three children made when they were young.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 23, 2026

Before Edward and Bella took over the world, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” viewers ached for David Boreanaz’s Angel and James Marsters’ Spike, centuries-old bros who fall for a very special high school blonde.

From Salon Jun. 13, 2026

"My heart ached, and I could only pray: 'God, please don't let that happen.'"

From BBC Jan. 14, 2025

But my green thumb ached as workers sawed down the tree, took away everything — trunk, twigs, leaves, fruit, roots — in biohazard bags and tagged the remaining trees with a bill of clean health.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 18, 2024

I smiled for her until my face ached.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

As the Aedes aegypti mosquito expanded its range across more of the Americas, it brought with it the delirium, jaundice, and aching joints of yellow fever.

From Slate Aug. 4, 2026

"My shifts at work landed on the same days, too. During my morning shower, I felt faint; I had to be realistic and call in sick. My body was completely exhausted, aching and cramping."

From BBC Jul. 8, 2026

Injuries and exhaustion have him aching to retire.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2026

After leaving an interview with Andy Cohen at SiriusXM’s studio, she slides back into her seat and removes her sky-high Louboutin stilettos, taking stock of her aching feet: “That’s going to suck later.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 4, 2026

There are no trains to be seen when he gets there, out of breath and aching from where his bag has been hitting against his back.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern




Vocabulary lists containing ache


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