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 of headache

• 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

Experts maintain that flying during a government shutdown remains safe, but more of a headache for travelers. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026

The most common side effects included headache, nausea, cough, fungal infection, and fatigue. —Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 19 Mar. 2026

Perhaps the most notorious example is Carrie and Big’s on-and-off again fling in Sex and the City, which stretched across six seasons and two movies, causing no shortage of headaches for the girls. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 19 Mar. 2026

Know the warning signs of heat exhaustion, which include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, sweating and an elevated body temperature. —Hannah Dreyfus, AZCentral.com, 19 Mar. 2026

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