rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryacheDull pain
noun / verb

ache

AYK/ˈeɪk/

A continuous dull pain or the feeling of it.

His lower back aches as the hours pass at the desk.

Three small sequential views of the same man at a plain desk, repeatedly supporting his lower back with a subdued, weary expression as a nearby clock advances.
Etymology
acheOld Englishpain

Old English æce already meant pain. Its connection with the verb meaning “suffer continued pain” helps explain the emphasis on persistence in the modern noun.

In context

Enhanced Public Domain460:38
I had come to bed because I had a stomach ache
1900s Satire Audiobook: Anatole France - Penguin Island

More examples

  • A dull ache remained in her shoulder.
  • The muscles ached after the climb.
  • He is aching for a quiet evening.

Forms

ache · aches · ached · aching

Similar words

pain
Pain can be sharp or sudden rather than dull and sustained.
throb
Throb suggests a rhythmic pulsing pain.