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
The first signs of infection are non-specific and include flu-like symptoms like fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting and sore throat.
—Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Abruptly stopping caffeine can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as a withdrawal headache.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, there’s nothing quite like the headache of realizing your travel documents aren’t in order.
—Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
With Frimpong sidelined, Conor Bradley out for the rest of the season with a knee injury and Joe Gomez still hampered by a hip problem, Slot has a major headache at right-back.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headache
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michal Ruprecht, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Abruptly stopping caffeine can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as a withdrawal headache.
—Angela Ryan Lee, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2026
Unfortunately, there’s nothing quite like the headache of realizing your travel documents aren’t in order.
—Brittany Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
With Frimpong sidelined, Conor Bradley out for the rest of the season with a knee injury and Joe Gomez still hampered by a hip problem, Slot has a major headache at right-back.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 30 Jan. 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 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
