headache

noun

ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
Definition of headachenext
1
as in job
a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work filling out all the required forms was a real headache

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nuisance
something that is a source of irritation one of the headaches of being a band teacher is never knowing if the school's music program will be cut

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of headache Each comes with real trade-offs in cost, control, and administrative burden, and misclassifying a worker can create tax and legal headaches down the road. — Rob Falzon, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Watch for signs of heat illness, such as heavy sweating; nausea; headache; dizziness or weakness; cool, pale and clammy skin; altered mental state and loss of consciousness. — Howard Cohen july 29, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026 Transport second Warning signs of heat stroke include dizziness, headache, nausea, severe fatigue, and can include confusion, combativeness or potential loss of consciousness, Casa says. — Scott Neuman, NPR, 29 July 2026 Symptoms include headaches, fever and body aches, Surasi said, but can progress to vomiting and neurological issues in serious cases. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for headache
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headache
  1. job
  2. nuisance
  3. killer
  4. frustration
  5. burden
  6. thorn
  7. effort
  8. worry
Noun
  • Not everyone’s job includes crawling 150 feet through a spillway pipe 20 feet beneath a lake.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • The jobs span the agriculture, automotive, education, finance, government, healthcare, hospitality, information technology, law enforcement, real estate and retail industries, among others, according to the fair’s website.
    — Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2026
Definition of job
Noun
  • Some of the houses are abandoned and have become unsightly neighborhood nuisances.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2026
  • One of the taxes in Connecticut that has been decried by critics as a nuisance is the car tax, which is a property tax on the value of automobiles that can differ sharply from town to town.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026
Definition of nuisance
Noun
  • Before Salguero-Olivares was charged, Hedgepeth’s mother, Connie Hedgepeth, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about her hopes for the case and her daughter’s killer.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The district attorney who put the killer behind bars for the rest of his life and won an unprecedented murder conviction against his father, agreed.
    — Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of killer
Noun
  • Big brands, which are highly sensitive to public pressure, have become an easy target for frustration.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Early today, the Pisces Moon may stir private doubts or behind-the-scenes frustration as Venus highlights work and wellness .
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of frustration
Noun
  • Lin and his team have shown that environmental cleanup and resource recovery can go hand in hand, reframing industrial brine from a toxic burden into an untapped mineral reservoir.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Critics during the state’s legislative session framed the sales tax holiday as an election-year political move that would not sufficiently ease the burden of taxes on families in the longer term.
    — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of burden
Noun
  • Over the past few months, SmackDown newcomer Gunther has been a thorn in the side of the blue brand’s General Manager Nick Aldis, even physically attacking him on more than one occasion.
    — Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • However, no amount of personal story can pluck out the thorn in our side that Janet versus Danny.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026
Definition of thorn
Noun
  • Despite continued life-saving efforts by first responders, the girl was pronounced dead before she could be airlifted to a hospital.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Through a second-half offensive effort, the Dream outlasted the Seattle Storm in a 98-89 win Friday night.
    — Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of effort
Noun
  • There have also been growing concerns that AI companies are propping each other up through a web of funding deals, with Nvidia at the heart of those worries.
    — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Those worries came to a head after the May election rout, leading to Starmer’s fall and Burnham’s rise.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Definition of worry

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Cite this Entry

“Headache.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headache. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on headache

Nglish: Translation of headache for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about headache

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