ached

VERB

feeling soreness or dull pain, often physical

Synonyms

STRONGEST

throb

STRONG

hurt pain pound smart suffer twinge

WEAK

be sore

Antonyms

STRONG

aid assist assuage help please relieve soothe

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.

Those ached more than stung and left me completely voiceless for the following 24 hours.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

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

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

Again and again, as my forearms trembled and my fingers ached, my feet slipped on the mercilessly smooth granite.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2024

He was somewhat disfigured from surgery for cancer, and he told me his foot ached because he was standing for so many hours every day keeping an eye on the self-checkout counters.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2024

Had Jonn's heart been aching for him then as his ached for Jonn now?

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda