headache

noun

head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk 

1

: pain in the head

2

: a vexatious or baffling situation or problem

meetings had become a giant headache

—Franklin Foer

headachy adjective

or less commonly headachey

ˈhed-ˌā-kē 

Synonyms

• bear
• beast
• chore
• job
• killer
• labor

Examples of headache in a Sentence

I'm starting to get a headache.

The symptoms include fever and headache.

The city's biggest headache is traffic.

Managing your finances can be a real headache.

Recent Examples on the Web

Air conditioning also removes humidity from the air, Cox says, and that dryness can contribute to symptoms like sore throats and headaches. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 12 June 2024

Mild symptoms may include muscle cramps and headache, while more severe consequences can include disturbances to your heart rhythm or even death, Barron said. —Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 11 June 2024

In one landmark study of medical outpatients in North America with new complaints of common symptoms like chest pain, dizziness, and headaches, only 16 percent of the cases were found to have an organic cause. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 June 2024

Dengue symptoms include high fever, headaches and nausea. —Fortune Editors, Fortune Europe, 5 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing headache

• cluster headache
• ice-cream headache
• pre-headache
• sick headache
• splitting headache
• tension headache

Video

An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling

Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut

Kids Definition

headache

noun

head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk 

1

: pain in the head

2

: an annoying or baffling situation or problem

headachy

-ˌā-kē 

adjective

Medical Definition

headache

noun

head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk 

: pain in the head

called also cephalalgia

headachy

-ˌā-kē 

adjective