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.

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

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

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

Cordova had been working on a Mexican American project, but he ached to create a story that specifically reflected his Ecuadorean background.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

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

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

It was all in German, and my head ached too much now to attempt reading it.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros