heartache

/ˈhɑːteɪk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrteɪk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈhärt-ˌāk/ (ame, mw)

heartache — noun

  • heartachesingular
  • heartachesplural

1. a deep emotional pain — the kind a person carries when love is lost, a relations

1.名詞C1
釋義

a deep emotional pain — the kind a person carries when love is lost, a relationship ends, or someone close has died or gone away.

例句

After the divorce, Chidi spoke openly about the heartache of starting life alone at fifty.

the heartache of + noun phrase

Years of heartache showed in the lines around Maja's eyes whenever the family talked about her late son.

years of heartache (long-lasting grief)

同義詞
  • grief

    stronger and more specifically tied to death or major loss

  • sorrow

    more literary; broader emotional sadness

  • anguish

    sharper, more intense suffering — often shorter-lived

  • heartbreak

    near-synonym; more often used about romantic loss specifically

反義詞
  • joy

    general opposite emotion

  • contentment

    the calm satisfaction that heartache disrupts

文法句型

heartache of + noun

cause + heartache

用法筆記

Distinct from physical 'heart pain' (medical) — heartache is always emotional. Often paired with loss, separation, or long-standing sorrow rather than brief upset; for short-term frustration, use 'disappointment' or 'upset' instead.

常見錯誤

❌I have a heartache, I need a doctor.
✅I have chest pain, I need a doctor.
💡'heartache' is emotional, not medical.
❌Losing my keys gave me real heartache.
✅Losing my keys was really annoying.
💡heartache is for deep grief, not minor annoyances.