headache

noun

head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
1
: pain in the head
2
: a vexatious or baffling situation or problem
meetings had become a giant headacheFranklin Foer
headachy adjective
or less commonly headachey

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
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.
Yeah, that beautiful red headache machine from 1995? Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025 There have been several Republican senatorial candidates who have caused major headaches for the party. Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025 The device famously introduced stereoscopic 3D, requiring players to strap into a clunky headset to experience its groundbreaking (and headache-inducing) parallax effects decades before the VR boom of the 2010s. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025 But Arizona’s biggest headache-causing defender is safety Budda Baker, a Pro Bowler for seven of his first eight seasons. Joseph Person, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for headache

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of headache was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Headache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headache. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

headache

noun
head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
1
: pain in the head
2
: an annoying or baffling situation or problem
headachy adjective

Medical Definition

headache

noun
head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
: pain in the head

called also cephalalgia

headachy adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on headache

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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