headache

noun head·ache \ ˈhed-ˌāk \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of headache

1 : pain in the head

2 : a vexatious or baffling situation or problem

meetings had become a giant headache
—Franklin Foer

—

headachy

or less commonly headachey play \ˈhed-ˌā-kē\ adjective

See headache defined for English-language learners

See headache defined for kids

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 of headache from the Web

Trying to make a mutual decision by text mid-day during the work week can be a huge headache, regardless of the topic at hand.

— author: wayne and wanda, Anchorage Daily News, "My girlfriend and I usually get along great. Then there are the hangry times.," 15 Apr. 2018
On top of the personal factors and the fact that Ryan didn’t want the position in the first place, the speakership has always been one of the most difficult jobs in Washington, and was especially a headache during the Trump presidency.

— rachel wolfe, Vox, "Vox Sentences: Don’t drink the alcohol in Indonesia," 12 Apr. 2018
Even recreating such a simplistic version of the wild in a lab is a headache, says Virgin.

— cassandra willyard, Scientific American, "Squeaky Clean Mice Could be Ruining Research," 9 Apr. 2018
Knockoffs and trademark battles are a particular headache for brands in China.

— elizabeth winkler, WSJ, "Retailers’ Tariff Troubles May Undo Recent Gains," 30 Mar. 2018
Regardless, the continuing conversation in the media about the case is an ongoing public relations headache for Team Sky, and the specter of having its top racer excluded in July heaps more pressure and scrutiny on the British team.

— aaron gulley, Outside Online, "Will the Tour de France Really Bar Froome?," 27 Mar. 2018
Mount Pleasant’s Royal Mail sorting office has been the center of London letter processing since 1889, but shuttling vast volumes of paper correspondence on congested city streets was a huge headache.

— john lee, latimes.com, "Underground London well beyond the Tube holds secrets and delights," 25 Mar. 2018
For Cambridge Analytica, the Channel 4 News expose is only the latest headache for a firm once championed by conservatives — and boosted by $15 million in funding from Republican mega-donor Robert Mercer, and his daughter, Rebekah.

— chicagotribune.com, "Cambridge Analytica CEO appears to talk about election bribes, sex workers on video," 19 Mar. 2018
But also, at times, one of their biggest headaches.

— adam h. beasley, miamiherald, "Dolphins, Pouncey to part ways after seven roller-coaster seasons | Miami Herald," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'headache.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.