heartburn

IPA/ˈhɑːtbɜːn/
KK[hˈɑrtbˌɚn]IPA/ˈhɑːrtbɜːrn/

heartburn — noun

1. A hot, uncomfortable feeling that rises from the chest toward the throat, caused

1.nounB1
Definition

A hot, uncomfortable feeling that rises from the chest toward the throat, caused by stomach acid moving upward into the tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

Example

Lisa woke up with chest burning — her heartburn was worse than usual.

Eating spicy food late at night often gives Devika heartburn.

cause heartburn: spicy food as trigger

Common collocations
  • suffer from heartburn
  • get heartburn
  • cause heartburn
  • chronic heartburn
  • heartburn medication
  • heartburn relief
  • heartburn tablets
  • severe heartburn
Synonyms
  • acid reflux

    Refers to the underlying condition (acid moving up the esophagus), while heartburn is the burning symptom itself. Often used interchangeably in casual speech.

  • indigestion

    A broader term that includes heartburn along with other symptoms like bloating, gas, and stomach discomfort after eating.

  • dyspepsia

    The medical term for chronic or recurrent indigestion; more formal and clinical than heartburn.

Usage Note

Despite the word 'heart' in the name, heartburn is a digestive problem, not a heart condition. The pain simply occurs near the chest area. If you feel pressure or pain spreading to the arm or jaw, it may be a heart attack — always seek medical help for chest pain you are unsure about.

Common Mistakes

I think I'm having a heartburn attack.
I think I have heartburn.
heartburn is uncountable and not something you 'have an attack' of in normal usage.
Heartburn means there is something wrong with my heart.
Heartburn is caused by stomach acid, not by the heart.
the name is misleading; the heart is not involved.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion are closely related but not identical. Heartburn is specifically the burning sensation in the chest — the symptom itself. Acid reflux is the mechanical cause: stomach acid moving backward into the esophagus. You can have acid reflux without feeling heartburn (silent reflux). Indigestion is the broadest term, covering any discomfort in the upper stomach after eating, including bloating, burping, nausea, and heartburn. Dyspepsia is the formal medical label for chronic or recurrent indigestion. In everyday speech, most people use 'heartburn' and 'acid reflux' interchangeably when describing the burning feeling. Example: 'After the curry, I had terrible heartburn' (symptom focus). 'My acid reflux acts up if I lie down too soon' (condition focus).

acid refluxindigestion ↗dyspepsia ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • suffer from heartburn
  • a bout of heartburn
  • a case of heartburn
  • heartburn remedy

Prepositions

  • from heartburn
  • for heartburn

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Heartburn combines 'heart' and 'burn', dating back to 14th-century English as 'herte-brenne'. The name comes from the old belief that the burning pain was located in or near the heart, since the sensation rises in the center of the chest. In Middle English the word also carried a figurative meaning of jealousy or bitter emotion, but that sense has since fallen out of everyday use.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above