headache

noun

ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
Definition of headachenext
1
as in job
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work filling out all the required forms was a real headache

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisance
something that is a source of irritation one of the headaches of being a band teacher is never knowing if the school's music program will be cut

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of headache Experts say West Nile virus symptoms can include fever, headache, muscle aches, rash and fatigue, though most people who are infected have no symptoms. — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 The closures are already creating headaches for commuters, with one driver telling WTOP her commute is worse than cherry blossom season. — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026 Some of those initiatives, however, have meant new headaches for the agency. — Matthew Perrone, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 But some of those initiatives have created new headaches for the agency. — Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for headache
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headache
  1. job
  2. nuisance
  3. killer
  4. frustration
  5. burden
  6. thorn
  7. effort
  8. worry
Noun
  • Denver is facing a $200 million budget deficit in 2026 and has laid off 169 city workers, cut city services and left hundreds of city jobs unfilled because of the budget squeeze.
    — Brian Maass, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The court dismissed the case against her manager, who also lost his job.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of job
Noun
  • Therefore, the state-level attorney general might opt to bring a legal charge of public nuisance against an AI maker and their AI.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Golden State’s stellar defense has quickly developed a reputation for being a nuisance against top guards in particular.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of nuisance
Noun
  • Arroyos, streams, and rivers can become raging killer currents in a matter of minutes, even from distant rainfall.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • There was nothing to point to a killer, and the case went cold.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of killer
Noun
  • That ambiguity is echoed in Banks’ score, which takes on the tone of a lament and a celebration, frustration and hope, struggle and liberation, the quest for transcendence in the face of the challenges posed by daunting inequities.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The move follows efforts by Pinterest and LinkedIn to respond to users’ frustrations with AI slop in their feeds.
    — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • The common denominator is reducing the burden on the person who already has enough to carry.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Young adults who already face high housing costs, student debt and an uncertain retirement system will carry the heaviest burden.
    — Carolyn Bourdeaux, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of burden
Noun
  • Baydon's tattoo needle is a spiky thorn of a pomelo tree attached to a thin bamboo reed.
    — Marisol Delarosa, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • That would be, of course, the dozen attorneys general led by California’s Rob Bonta, whose antitrust lawsuit last month seeking to block the merger has been a thorn in Ellison’s side.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of thorn
Noun
  • Those shots blotted out what had been an inspiriting effort by the Valkyries’ bench unit.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Jason Bauer, the city’s director of public works and city engineer, said Aurora pursued multiple procurement efforts.
    — Steve Zalusky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of effort
Noun
  • In recent weeks, family members of Lincoln service members voiced worries about deteriorating mental health conditions aboard the ship, as well as sanitary conditions and food shortages.
    — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • That reflects how the world's second-largest economy remains insulated from global capital markets — and faces a deflationary environment, in contrast to inflation worries elsewhere.
    — Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of worry

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Cite this Entry

“Headache.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headache. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about headache

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