achingly

adverb

ach·​ing·​ly ˈā-kiŋ-lē How to pronounce achingly (audio)
Synonyms of achinglynext
1
: in an aching manner
achingly sad songs
2
: extremely, exceedingly
achingly complicated

Synonyms of achingly

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Examples of achingly in a Sentence

an achingly funny movie
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.
Black style passes through Gershwin and out into Nina Simone’s famous take and Bill Evans’s imperishable version, where the blues is filtered through Erik Satie’s minimalism to become a haunted, achingly beautiful elegy. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 Not that the trend had anything to do with Jildevik adopting the format for this achingly personal project. — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026 Bettany is by turns hilariously perplexed, in the universal manner of parents engaging with teens everywhere, and achingly tender, in the more unusual way of a robot letting himself be overwhelmed by feeling for the first time. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 The show sees youth as achingly desirable and also a miserable burden, and at any moment, either of those options couldn’t feel more true. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for achingly

Word History

Etymology

aching entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of achingly was in 1765

Rhymes for achingly

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Browse Nearby Words

aching
achingly
achiote
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Cite this Entry

“Achingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/achingly. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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