ache

1 of 2

verb

ˈāk 

ached; aching

intransitive verb

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.

ache

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonyms of ache

Verb

• hurt
• pain
• throb
• tingle

Noun

• tingle
• pang
• pain
• sting

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

Verb

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome causes fatigue, fever, muscle aches, abdominal problems, headaches, chills and dizziness in the early stages, and late symptoms include chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath and lungs filling with fluid. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or rash, according to the CDC. — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 1 July 2026

Noun

Good posture helps prevent aches in the back, neck and shoulders, reduces joint wear and lowers the risk of sports injuries, according to Cleveland Clinic. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2026

Most people infected with the virus do not develop symptoms, but about one in five experience fever, headaches, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English aken, going back to Old English acan, of uncertain origin

Note: Originally a Class VI strong verb, to judge by Middle English past tense forms such as eoc, ok, etc. (no preterit forms are attested in Old English). There is no counterpart to the verb in other Germanic languages, and words adduced as possible relatives (e.g., Middle Dutch akel "harm, injury, grief," Middle Low German ēken "to fester") are formally and semantically only vaguely comparable. Regarding the spelling see note at ache entry 2.

Noun

Middle English, going back to Old English æce, ece, noun derivative from the base of acan "to ache entry 1"

Note: The spelling with -ch-, reflecting the historical pronunciation of the noun, has spread to the verb, while the pronunciation of the verb with [k], continued from Old English, has spread to the noun since late Middle English. The persistence of the spelling with -ch- may have been influenced by Samuel Johnson's mistaken notion that the word derived from Greek áchos "pain, distress."

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ache

• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake
• fake
• flake
• hake
• jake
• lake

Kids Definition

ache

1 of 2 verb

ˈāk 

ached; aching

1

: to suffer a dull persistent pain

2

: to long painfully : yearn

ache

2 of 2 noun

: a dull persistent pain

achy

ˈā-kē

adjective

Medical Definition

ache

1 of 3 intransitive verb

ˈāk 

ached; aching

: to suffer a usually dull persistent pain

ache

2 of 3 noun

1

: a usually dull persistent pain

2

: a condition marked by aching

AChE

3 of 3 abbreviation

acetylcholinesterase