Deep feelings of sadness or emotional pain, usually caused by love troubles or loss.
Compound of 'heart' (seat of emotions) and 'ache' (pain); used since Middle English to describe emotional suffering, metaphorically connecting physical pain to emotional distress.
Before modern psychology, people used 'heartache' to describe emotional pain, and research now shows they were onto something—intense emotional distress literally activates the same pain centers in the brain as physical injury.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.