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

Meanwhile, Kennedy said some franchisors are choosing to refranchise their California restaurants, collecting franchising fees in place of the headaches of operating the locations themselves. —Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 22 Nov. 2025

The uneven flow created headaches during the early months. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025

That said, high doses of curcumin can have side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and headaches. —Lauren O'Connor, Health, 21 Nov. 2025

While not tied to the influenza virus, the symptoms can come on fast and fierce, with sufferers battling nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headache and body aches, all within 12 hours to two days after exposure. —Elaine Rojas-Castillo, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025

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
• eastlake
• forsake
• 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