1
as in sore
causing or feeling bodily pain
my poor, aching back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weeping
expressing or suggesting mourning
another one of those aching country songs about a woman who done him wrong
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hurting
to feel or cause physical pain
my feet ache from all that walking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 aching
Vivienne Walt, Time, 10 June 2025
In this novel about the shape-shifting nature of love, Parsons captures Kit’s grief in aching and honest terms.
—Annabel Gutterman, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
That moment, pulling out the aching tooth and taking a drink right after, was symbolic for me.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aching
Adjective
Indeed, Macron has zipped furiously across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia all year, negotiating deals on climate, trade, military assistance, and peace, some of it in an effort to fill an aching vacuum left by Washington.
—Verb
Del Toro’s empathy for the Creature is total—and so, owing to the aching poignancy and underlying rage of Elordi’s performance, is ours.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for aching
Adjective
-
Shein’s new brick-and-mortar store—its first in the world—sticks out like a sore thumb.—
-
The Clippers were missing two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard (ankle) and guard Bradley Beal (sore knee) in a lopsided 126-107 loss to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.—
Adjective
-
And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Verb
-
Not forcing her to go means hurting the other girl, forcing her to go means teaching your daughter that her own comfort should be subjugated to make someone else happy.—
-
These are the most casual of gestures, not comparable to relatives hurting a child.—
Adjective
-
Proper skin preparation is key to making your wax sessions less painful.—
-
The high fevers, hospitalizations, and dehydration that these illnesses cause can be painful and disruptive—and, with vaccines, avoidable.—
Adjective
-
This internal struggle is portrayed with raw honesty, focusing on the darker, mournful corners of humanity that inspired the record’s lyrics.—
-
Other tracks channel the mournful energy of the most political ’70s dub.—
Verb
-
The air was throbbing with the sounds of helicopters coming close and pulling away.—
-
The song now opens with throbbing synth bass that completely transforms its mood and style.—
Adjective
-
After Anna disappeared, Alice was heartbroken.—
-
A day after the shooting, Chez’s heartbroken parents proclaimed at a press conference outside the 101st Precinct stationhouse in Far Rockaway that their son posed no threat.—
Verb
-
People with peripheral neuropathy may experience pins and needles sensations, such as tingling and prickling, in their extremities.—
-
These included tingling at the electrode sites, brief skin irritation, or headache.—
Cite this Entry
“Aching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aching. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share