aching
UK: ˈeɪkɪŋ | US: ˈeɪkɪŋ
adj. causing a continuous dull pain
v. (present participle of ache) to suffer a persistent, often dull pain
aching = ache<continuous pain> + ing<present participle suffix>
- ache: From Old English āce (noun) and acan (verb), meaning "continuous pain." The modern spelling "ache" emerged under the influence of French ache (from Latin achē), though the pronunciation remained Germanic (/eɪk/).
- ing: A suffix forming present participles or gerunds, from Old English -ende (progressive) and -ung (noun-forming).
Etymology Origin:
The word "ache" originally had separate noun and verb forms in Old English (āce and acan), but by Middle English, they merged into the unified spelling "ache." The addition of -ing creates either an adjective ("an aching back") or a verb form ("my leg is aching"). The persistence of the root ache reflects its primal association with enduring physical discomfort.
She rubbed her aching feet after the long hike.
The medicine eased his aching muscles.
Her heart was aching with loneliness.
An aching tooth kept him awake all night.
The old wound still sends an aching twinge in cold weather.