1
: pain in the head
2
: a vexatious or baffling situation or problem
… meetings had become a giant headache.—
Franklin Foer
Franklin FoerExamples 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
Dolgin says if more people trade down to the ad tier (something Netflix execs have said is not yet happening), that could bring other headaches.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
What Becker once considered a sturdy government job has transformed into a headache as the recent partial government shutdown, which cut off pay to the Department of Homeland Security and by extension Transportation Security Administration workers, stretches into its 40th day.
—Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
One of the biggest headaches any launch with a hatch deals with is known as FOD, or foreign-object debris, which could be as small as a piece of hair trapped in the seal where the hatch closes.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Even brief moments of warmth or empathy can help reset our nervous system and reduce physical symptoms of stress, like muscle tension or headaches.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headache
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Dade Hayes, Deadline, 27 Mar. 2026
What Becker once considered a sturdy government job has transformed into a headache as the recent partial government shutdown, which cut off pay to the Department of Homeland Security and by extension Transportation Security Administration workers, stretches into its 40th day.
—Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
One of the biggest headaches any launch with a hatch deals with is known as FOD, or foreign-object debris, which could be as small as a piece of hair trapped in the seal where the hatch closes.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Mar. 2026
Even brief moments of warmth or empathy can help reset our nervous system and reduce physical symptoms of stress, like muscle tension or headaches.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headache
Video
An Abbreviated History of American English Spelling
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
Cite this Entry
“Headache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headache. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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