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

Both conditions also involve symptoms outside the intestines, such as headaches or brain fog.5 Only celiac disease involves symptoms related to malnutrition, which occurs because the small intestine is damaged. —Sarah Bence, Health, 28 Feb. 2025

Less frequent side effects can include chest discomfort, weakness, headache, rhinitis, hypoglycemia and vitamin B12 deficiency (with long-term metformin use). —Leslie Baumann, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025

In addition to vomiting and diarrhea, patients may experience nausea, stomach pain, fever, headaches and body aches. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2025

This includes symptoms such as anxiety, cold sweats, headaches and heart palpitations. —Jessica Hartshorn, Flow Space, 25 Feb. 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