headache

1 of 2

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 

headachy

2 of 2

adjective

head·​achy ˈhed-ˌā-kē 

variants or less commonly headachey

-er/-est

1

: having headache

2

: causing headache or attended by headache

Synonyms of headache

Noun

• job
• killer
• burden
• effort

Examples of headache in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

Hegseth’s fraying ties on the Hill put him on course for a bigger headache after the election, according to interviews with a half-dozen senators as well as multiple administration officials. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Symptoms can include headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, or a rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026

For anyone living in a household where someone snores, wakes up with headaches or drags through the day, Jack Black’s candid podcast conversation about his CPAP machine offers a familiar reference point. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026

Long-term exposure can lead to long-term health consequences, including chronic bronchitis or asthma, inflammation of the lungs, headaches, memory loss and fatigue. — Rebecca Smullin Dawson, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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

Adjective

1795, 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