heartache
Emotional distress or pain, often caused by a loved one or their absenceEmotional distress or pain, often caused by a loved one or their absence.
» His friend's cold shoulder caused him heartache.
Meaning
1 senses(countable, uncountable)Emotional distress or pain, often caused by a loved one or their absence.
Herzschmerz, Herzeleid, Herzweh
душе́вная больdušévnaja bolʹ, страда́ниеstradánije, ранаrana
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
Examples
8 sentencesHis friend's cold shoulder caused him heartache.
My arms avenge my heartache in the hug they can finally have.
I really don't want to cause you a heartache by dumping you for someone else.
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.
Even now, I feel a sense of heartache and longing when I think of my first love.
deWenn ich an meine erste Liebe denke, spüre ich selbst jetzt noch Herzschmerz und Sehnsucht.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English heorteece, heorte-ece, from Old English heorteċe, equivalent to heartFrom Middle English heorteece, heorte-ece, from Old English heorteċe, equivalent to heart + ache. Blends both literal and figurative aspects, as emotional distress sometimes includes a physical element of chest discomfort. Compare heartbreak § Etymology, where the literal aspect is lesser, though it still can be said to have a physiological basis.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: heartachesSynonyms
3 synonyms- intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death):griefheartbreakbrokenheartedness
Word family
3 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable