headache
Americannoun
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headaches
plural
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a pain located in the head, as over the eyes, at the temples, or at the base of the skull.
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an annoying or bothersome person, situation, activity, etc.
noun
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Technical name: cephalalgia. pain in the head, caused by dilation of cerebral arteries, muscle contraction, insufficient oxygen in the cerebral blood, reaction to drugs, etc
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informal any cause of worry, difficulty, or annoyance
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Pain in the head, caused by stimulation of or pressure to any of various structures of the head, such as tissue covering the cranium, cranial nerves, or blood vessels. Headache can be a primary disorder, as in migraine or cluster headaches, or a common symptom associated with head injury or many illnesses such as acute infection, brain tumor or abscess, eye disorders such as glaucoma, dental disease, and hypertension.
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See also cluster headache migraine
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of headache
before 1000; Middle English; Old English hēafodece. See head, ache
Compare meaning
How does headache compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A headache is a pain or ache in your head, especially one that lasts longer than a few minutes. You might get a headache after a day of staring at a computer screen. There are many reasons for getting a headache, from staying up too late to a stressful day to skipping your morning cup of coffee. A more serious type of headache, like a migraine, might keep you home from work for a day, but most headaches are just a nuisance. You can also describe a problem or struggle as a figurative headache: "Learning Danish is turning out to be a real headache." In Old English, the word was heafodece.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"I'm short of breath and have a headache breathing air now. But I still have to work," Imrayedi, a 63-year-old motorcycle taxi driver in Pekanbaru city, on Sumatra island, told BBC Indonesian last week.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Or is it a financial and logistical headache?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Iranian ballistic missiles have also proved a headache for Israel, the U.S. and Gulf states, which have all expended large stockpiles of expensive interceptors to shoot them down, not always successfully.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Migraines are often misunderstood as "just a headache" despite being a neurological condition that can leave people unable to work, socialise or function in everyday life, according to a migraine expert.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
The tingling and the throbbing headache raged out of control in one powerful surge, like a giant wave crashing on a beach and wiping out the sand castle you worked on all day.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
AI agents bring new headaches to online sellers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
His four-year-old is sick too, complaining of headaches and general weakness.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Plus, the push for digital sovereignty is causing big headaches for multinational companies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Detained immigrants quickly began experiencing the effects, the lawsuit claimed, including nosebleeds, headaches and dizziness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Helen and Doug were plagued by severe headaches.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
