headache

head·ache

noun \ˈhed-ˌāk\

Definition of HEADACHE

1

: pain in the head

2

: a vexatious or baffling situation or problem <meetings had become a giant headache — Franklin Foer>

— head·achy also head·achey \-ˌā-kē\ adjective

Examples of HEADACHE

1. I'm starting to get a headache.
2. The symptoms include fever and headache.
3. The city's biggest headache is traffic.
4. Managing your finances can be a real headache.

First Known Use of HEADACHE

before 12th century

Related to HEADACHE

Synonyms

bear, beast, chore, job, killer, labor

Related Words

drudgery, grind, heavy lifting, lucubration; effort, strain, sweat; burden, load, weight; bother, nuisance, trouble

Near Antonyms

breeze, child's play, cinch, duck soup, kid stuff, setup, snap

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

Rhymes with HEADACHE

air brake, awake, backache, beefcake, beefsteak, betake, blacksnake, bull snake, canebrake, caretake, cheesecake, cheesesteak, clambake, club steak, corncrake, cube steak, cupcake, daybreak, disc brake, drum brake, earache, earthquake, fair shake, fast break, firebreak, firedrake, fish cake, flank steak, forsake, friedcake, fruitcake, green snake, grubstake, hand brake, handshake, heartache, heartbreak, hoecake, hotcake, housebreak, intake, jailbreak, keepsake, king snake, lapstrake, mandrake, milk snake, mistake, moonquake, muckrake, namesake, newsbreak, oatcake, oil cake, opaque, outbreak, outtake, Pan-Cake, pancake, partake, pound cake, pump fake, rat snake, remake, retake, rewake, rock brake, seaquake, sea snake, seedcake, sheldrake, shortcake, snowflake, sponge cake, Swiss steak, tea cake, toothache, unmake, uptake, wheat cake, windbreak, wind shake, youthquake

head·ache

noun \ˈhed-ˌāk\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of HEADACHE

: pain in the head—called also cephalalgia

—head·achy \-ˌā-kē\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

headache

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Pain in the upper portion of the head. Episodic tension headaches are the most common, usually causing mild to moderate pain on both sides. They result from sustained contraction of face and neck muscles, often due to fatigue, stress, or frustration. Headaches are treated with aspirin, acetaminophen, or other NSAIDs. Chronic daily headaches are similar but more frequent. They usually have a psychological cause and respond to certain antidepressants. They may also come from overuse of pain relievers. Migraine and cluster headaches are vascular headaches. Headaches may also be caused by distension of arteries at the base of the brain, from fever, hangover, or an attack of high blood pressure. Headache can be a symptom of meningitis, hemorrhagic stroke, or tumour.