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

The biggest headache is staffing the kitchen, as there are few Saudi chefs. — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Florida has just 52 certified headache specialists, so for a worker in rural Florida, a diagnosis can mean a lost day’s wages and a long drive. — Brian T. Bailey, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

West Nile symptoms A full 80% of those infected may not show symptoms, but 20% have flu-like symptoms, such as a fever with headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, rash or fatigue. — Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026

Cole Burston / Getty Images With so many clubs still in the mix, even scoreboard watching can induce a headache. — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 4 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