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:
Wet weather has drenched the Games since Sunday, another headache for organisers wrestling with complaints from teams about accommodation and transport.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
People infected with typhus typically develop symptoms within one to two weeks, which may include a fever, headache, rash and body aches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Experiences like Lauren's are all too common, said Katy Munro, senior GP headache specialist at the National Migraine Centre and host of the Heads Up podcast.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
By taking these steps, you’ll save money on taxes and spare your future self a major financial headache at a difficult time.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
Sending secret messages from Washington to Riverbank was a logistical hassle and a security headache.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
The first barrier to treatment, Munro said, is that a lot of people believe they are "normal headaches".
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
Adding to Revolut’s headaches, the company is facing extortion threats from a shadowy hacker who claims to be behind the breach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
But standing up an ad business so quickly has produced mixed results and, some advertisers say, administrative headaches and operational glitches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
I’d love to hear any practical suggestions for structuring this so that it is easy for the restaurant, seamless for the staff and customers, and doesn’t create unnecessary headaches for anyone.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
But then Mrs. Hopper started getting headaches and kept asking them to be quiet and not to touch things.
From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
