ache
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To suffer pain.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
aykIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈeɪk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitivestative
To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
Feel physical pain
Have a desire for something or someone who is not present
noun
A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain
Continued dull pain, as distinguished from sudden twinges, or spasmodic pain.
A language spoken by the Yi people of South-Western China.
Rare spelling of aitch.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Primarily written
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (intransitive, stative) To suffer pain; to be the source of, or be in, pain, especially continued dull pain; to be distressed.
'Ache' describes a dull, continuous pain, often less sharp or intense than a 'stab' or 'jolt'. It's commonly used for internal body pains like headaches or muscle aches. You wouldn't typically 'ache' from a cut, but rather from overexertion.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Everyday but emotionally strong
Where you'll really hear it
Doctor's visit
“My lower back has started to ache after sitting all day.”
Talking to friends
“My feet really ache after that long walk.”
Describing emotions
“My heart aches for those who lost everything.”
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.