Heartache
ˈhɑːrˌteɪk
Definitions
2 meaningsSevere emotional distress or sorrow; anguish of the heart.
ˈhɑːrˌteɪk
Emotional pain and distress
He endured years of heartache after his wife's death.
💡 Simply: It's like when you feel really, really sad inside, like your heart is actually hurting. Maybe because someone you love is gone, or something bad happened.
👶 For kids: When your heart feels really, really sad.
More Examples
The ending of the movie brought me so much heartache.
She tried to forget the heartache of the past.
How It's Used
"The poem describes the heartache of lost love."
"She suffered a lot of heartache after the breakup."
A feeling of intense longing or sadness, often related to unfulfilled desires or lost opportunities.
ˈhɑːrˌteɪk
A feeling of longing or deep sadness
The memories of their time together only brought her more heartache.
💡 Simply: It's the feeling you get when you really, really want something, or miss someone, so much that it makes you sad.
👶 For kids: When you really miss someone or something and it makes you sad.
More Examples
He carried the heartache of a lost opportunity for years.
The thought of never seeing her again filled him with heartache.
How It's Used
"The distance between them caused her a constant heartache."
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
a broken heart
Profound emotional distress, usually caused by the loss of a loved one or a failed relationship.
"After the breakup, she was left with a broken heart."
heartbreak hotel
A place or situation that is associated with sadness and unrequited love.
"The city was like a heartbreak hotel for lonely souls."
From Middle English *herte ache*, meaning 'pain of the heart'. It combines 'heart' (Old English heorte) and 'ache' (Old English *ece*, meaning 'pain').
The word has been used since the 14th century, and its usage has remained relatively consistent throughout history to describe emotional distress.
Memory tip
Imagine your heart physically aching – it's that deep emotional pain.