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

Some people have mood swings, headaches, nausea or hot flashes. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Meta’s India headache A parliamentary panel last Wednesday demanded an apology from Mark Zuckerberg within three days over the brief restriction of a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Meta Platform’s Facebook. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Symptoms, which usually last four to seven days, include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Common symptoms include watery diarrhea and stomach aches, but can also include nausea, headaches, vomiting and loss of appetite. — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 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
• forsake
• gouache
• 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