Ache

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈeɪk/

Definitions

1. A continuous or intermittent sensation of pain that can occur in various parts of the body can lead to a feeling of unease
2. A prolonged discomfort manifesting as a dull pang in specific areas may hinder normal functioning
3. A steady, mild pain that lasts for some time in parts of the body ; to experience a continuous sensation of discomfort or soreness in a region

Etymology: The most surprising fact is that "ache" has two unrelated histories that became one spelling. The verb comes from Old English "acan", a word for hurting that is shared with Dutch "akelig" and German dialect "aken", and it originally conjugated like "take" (I ake, I oke, I have aken) before turning regular during Middle English. The noun is a separate word, from Old English "æċe", and it was once pronounced to rhyme with "patch", as its spelling still suggests, much as "breach" keeps the sound of "break". The noun's sound changed later. It was spelled "ache" while its pronunciation drifted toward the modern /eɪk/, so the two forms stayed in step only on paper. The verb, meanwhile, was originally spelled "ake", and it adopted the noun's spelling only when the lexicographer Samuel Johnson, in his dictionary, mistakenly thought it came from Greek "ákhos" ("pain"), a plausible-looking but false connection. Separately, the noun also came into English from Old French "ache", borrowed from Latin "apium", meaning celery, which is a different word and a different lineage from the Old English one.

Synonyms: pain, hurt, discomfort, soreness, throb

Antonyms: comfort, ease, relief, well-being, contentment