noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈhɑːteɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:HH AA1 R T EY2 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Emotional distress or pain, often caused by a loved one or their absence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
intense sorrow caused by loss of a loved one (especially by death)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: grief, heartbreak, brokenheartedness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sorrow
Narrower terms: dolor, dolour
History
Etymology
From Middle English heorteece, heorte-ece, from Old English heorteċe, equivalent to heart + ache. Blends both literal and figurative aspects, as emotional distress sometimes includes a physical element of chest discomfort. Compare heartbreak § Etymology, where the literal aspect is lesser, though it still can be said to have a physiological basis.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
мъка
(mǎka)
— emotional distress or pain
Bulgarian:
душевна болка
(duševna bolka)
— emotional distress or pain
Chinese Mandarin:
心痛
(xīntòng)
— emotional distress or pain
Dutch:
hartzeer
— emotional distress or pain
Esperanto:
korpremo
— emotional distress or pain
Finnish:
sydänsuru
— emotional distress or pain
Finnish:
murhe
— emotional distress or pain
Finnish:
sydänhaava
— emotional distress or pain
French:
chagrin d'amour
— emotional distress or pain
French:
peine de cœur
— emotional distress or pain
German:
Herzschmerz
— emotional distress or pain
German:
Herzeleid
— emotional distress or pain
German:
Herzweh
— emotional distress or pain
German:
Herzenskummer
— emotional distress or pain
Indonesian:
pedih hati
— emotional distress or pain
Irish:
croíbhriseadh
— emotional distress or pain
Irish:
crá croí
— emotional distress or pain
Japanese:
心痛
(shintsū)
— emotional distress or pain
Latin:
cordolium
— emotional distress or pain
Macedonian:
карасевда
(karasevda)
— emotional distress or pain
Malay:
pedih hati
— emotional distress or pain
Māori:
tūmatatenga
— emotional distress or pain
Māori:
ahotea
— emotional distress or pain
Māori:
auhi
— emotional distress or pain
Māori:
huamo
— emotional distress or pain
Māori:
pākikini
— emotional distress or pain
Māori:
mate kanehe
— emotional distress or pain
Old English:
heorteċe
— emotional distress or pain
Russian:
душе́вная боль
(dušévnaja bolʹ)
— emotional distress or pain
Russian:
страда́ние
(stradánije)
— emotional distress or pain
Russian:
рана
(rana)
— emotional distress or pain
Scots:
hertake
— emotional distress or pain
Serbo-Croatian:
срцобоља
— emotional distress or pain
Serbo-Croatian:
srcobolja
— emotional distress or pain
Southern Altai:
јара
(ǰara)
— emotional distress or pain
