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 the Brentwood location of popular Italian eatery Jon & Vinny’s, staff complained of headaches and sore throats in a text message group chat. —Suhauna Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025

The common symptoms of POTS include light-headedness, fainting, brain fog, fatigue, headache, blurred vision, tremors, and nausea. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025

Fire smoke can cause headaches, dizziness and nausea, which may also be a sign of exposure to carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas that cuts oxygen to our organs and tissues, Rutland said. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2025

Plus: Some baseball players’ wives are turning one of their biggest headaches into a business. —Levi Weaver, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 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

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