ache
Use “ache” as a noun or as a verb when something hurts you.
- I have an ache. (noun)
- My tooth aches. (verb)
The word “ache” is similar to the word “pain.”
aches and pains
a. You have an ache.
We often use “ache” as a noun.
- I have an ache in my stomach.
- I have a stomachache.
- He has an ache in his ear.
- He has an earache.
- Sarah is kept up at night by a dull ache in her abdomen. (dull ache = a small, persistent ache that won’t go away.)
- People have all kinds of aches.
- They have aches and pains.
- If you have a throbbing ache, you should go see a doctor.
- He has an ache in his tooth.
- He has a toothache.
- His tooth is aching. (In this sentence, “ache” is a verb.)
- He could take some aspirin to help reduce the aching. (The word “aching” is a gerund.)
- The ache in his tooth is getting worse. It’s time to see a dentist.
b. A part of your body aches.
These sentences show how “ache” is used as a verb.
- My head aches.
- My eyes ache.
- My feet ache from walking all day.
- Victoria’s back aches for some reason.
- She doesn’t know why it aches.
- If a particular part of your body aches, you really should see a doctor.
- Rosa’s feet ache when she wears those cheap shoes that she bought last year at Walmart.
- Her head aches.
- What do you do when your head aches?
- She has a headache. (The word “headache” is a noun.)
c. figurative speech
Sometimes an ache is felt in the heart or the soul. This is emotional pain.
- His heart aches for love.
- The whole town is aching after a beloved hotel was lost in a fire.
- You could hear the ache in her heart when she spoke about her mother who had just passed.
- Tim is aching for adventure.
- The ache of losing someone you love is hard to deal with.
- Her heart aches.
- She’s suffering from heart ache.
- Her heart aches after her boyfriend said that he wants to break up with her.
