noun
heartache
HAH-tayk
noun
1
Deep emotional pain or sorrow, especially from losing or being separated from someone you love.
"Years after the divorce, she still felt a twinge of heartache when she saw his photos."
"The song is about the heartache of watching someone you love move on."
How to Use Heartache
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe lasting sadness you feel over lost love or a painful loss — more drawn-out than a single stab of grief.
Common pairings
cause heartache
the heartache of losing someone
spare yourself the heartache
Word Forms
heartaches plural
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Years after the divorce, she still felt a twinge of _____ when she saw his photos.
Etymology
From Old English roots meaning simply "heart" plus "ache" — a very old, literal way of describing emotional pain as if it were a physical pain in the chest.