aching

adjective

ach·​ing ˈā-kiŋ How to pronounce aching (audio)
1
: that aches
an aching back
2
: causing or reflecting distress, deep emotion, or longing
aching country ballads

Examples of aching in a Sentence

another one of those aching country songs about a woman who done him wrong
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Somebody Somewhere is tiny: a gorgeous, introspective, intimate story about a woman with devastatingly mundane problems whose chief obstacle is her own aching sense of grief and dislocation. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024 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 Vail’s spaghetti-Western instincts are ever present in 100 Cowboys, but beyond the uptempo pop-rock sound is an aching, earnest excavation of love gone wrong. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2024 This type of pain can be described as anything from sharp and throbbing to dull and aching. Cristina Mutchler, Health, 10 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for aching 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aking, from present participle of aken "to ache entry 1"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aching was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near aching

Cite this Entry

“Aching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aching. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on aching

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!