toothache

noun

tooth·​ache ˈtüth-ˌāk How to pronounce toothache (audio)
: pain in or about a tooth

Examples of toothache in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What Causes Sinus Pressure? Sinus pressure may cause pain behind your eyes, tenderness of your face, and toothache. Sarah Bradley, Health, 31 Aug. 2023 Humans have been using castoreum for more than 2,000 years, mostly to cure ailments like headaches, earaches, toothaches, fevers and gout. Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023 Side effects of Dupixent may include injection site reactions, conjunctivitis (eye irritation), joint pain, digestive distress, insomnia and toothache. Joe and Teresa Graedon, oregonlive, 17 July 2023 Penny, a 3-year-old sorrel mare with a white blaze, had been slobbering her feed and fighting her bit, signs of a likely toothache. Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2023 Your toothache could be caused by a crack or a break in a tooth. Rachel Swalin, Health, 3 Feb. 2023 Americans are less distressed by the certainty of death than by the possibility of toothache. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Feb. 2022 But some combination of personal trauma, agoraphobia, and pandemic paranoia has kept her stuck in permanent lockdown, looking down as people in masks circulate around the food truck every morning, unable even to make it to the dentist’s office to get her toothache checked. Ross Douthat, National Review, 3 Mar. 2022 Nasal blockage or congestion; blackish or bloody nasal discharge; facial pain, numbness, or swelling; headache or pain in the eyes and orbit; toothache, loosening of tooth, or jaw involvement; blurring or double vision with pain; tingling sensation on the face; fever, and blackish skin lesions. Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 14 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toothache.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toothache was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near toothache

Cite this Entry

“Toothache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toothache. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

toothache

noun
tooth·​ache ˈtü-ˌthāk How to pronounce toothache (audio)
: pain in or near a tooth

Medical Definition

toothache

noun
tooth·​ache ˈtüth-ˌāk How to pronounce toothache (audio)
: pain in or about a tooth

called also odontalgia

More from Merriam-Webster on toothache

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