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

• bear
• beast
• chore
• job
• killer
• labor

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

At first, banks were distracted, handling the headache of working through legacy loan books in the aftermath of the financial crisis. —Christian Faes, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Rather than deal with the environmental headache of working around the rare bee species living on the land, Mark Zuckerberg and company will have to find another place to put its data center. —Melvin Backman, Quartz, 5 Nov. 2024

Studies have not identified any serious side effects from GABA supplements, but taking more than 300 mg at a time may cause headaches, drowsiness, or abdominal discomfort. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2024

On the morning of their baby shower, Oct. 28, 2023, Crain woke with a headache. —Lizzie Presser and Kavitha Surana, CNN, 3 Nov. 2024

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

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