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

• job
• killer
• burden
• effort

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

Most aneurysms are symptom-free, but sudden severe headaches or vision changes can signal a life-threatening rupture. —Sohaib Imtiaz, Health, 25 Oct. 2025

There’s now no prize or broadcast money, in addition to no ticket revenues, which is a huge headache at a time of general cost-cutting. —Andy Mitten, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Extra-intestinal symptoms like fatigue, headache and muscle pain are common, but there’s still no evidence that gluten directly harms the nervous system in these cases. —New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2025

Even low levels of exposure are linked to serious health issues, including fatigue, headache, stomach pain, vomiting or neurologic changes, according to the FDA. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for headache

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• heartache

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