heartache

noun

heart·​ache ˈhärt-ˌāk How to pronounce heartache (audio)
Synonyms of heartachenext
: anguish of mind : sorrow

Synonyms of heartache

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Examples of heartache in a Sentence

I've had more than my share of heartaches in my life. the heartache she felt when she saw the innocent victims of the war
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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.
With apocalyptic floods, wildfires and other events becoming more common, that force is growing and transforming devastation and heartache into action. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 28 Oct. 2026 And beneath all this grief, all this disbelief, all this unbearable heartache, is the simplest, most devastating truth. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2026 With Taylor Swift, a precocious teen met listeners in their own teenage heartache, their deep-seeded loneliness, and that overarching, painful desire to fit in with a collection of country-pop gems. — Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026 This was a three-day decision with lots and lots of heartache. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heartache

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heartache was in 1578

Rhymes for heartache

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Browse Nearby Words

heart's desire
heartache
heart and soul
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Cite this Entry

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

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