hangover
Americannoun
-
the disagreeable physical aftereffects of drunkenness, such as a headache or stomach disorder, usually felt several hours after cessation of drinking.
- Synonyms:
- nausea, qualm, sickishness, queasiness
-
something remaining behind from a former period or state of affairs.
-
any aftermath of or lingering effect from a distressing experience.
the post-Watergate hangover in Washington.
noun
-
the delayed aftereffects of drinking too much alcohol in a relatively short period of time, characterized by headache and sometimes nausea and dizziness
-
a person or thing left over from or influenced by a past age
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of hangover
1890–95, noun use of verb phrase hang over
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:
The Daily Star spotlights England fans who will be waking up with the "ultimate hangover today" after the World Cup match against Mexico, which is due to kick-off in the early hours of Monday.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
Still, it only expects to be profitable again in FY 2028, given higher fuel prices and a hangover from engine maintenance costs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
The latter is the hangover from a peripatetic childhood defined and dominated by his charismatic father, a once-idealistic scholar whose dreams of a Arab utopia soured into authoritarian megalomania.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
That moment came in 2008, with a crash and a long, throbbing hangover.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
In any case, painting itself is a hangover from the European past.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
As a Kryptonian, her hangovers are instantly cured by a yellow sun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Recessions follow booms the way hangovers follow parties.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Rather than relying on olive oil, there are several well-established methods to prevent or mitigate hangovers:
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2024
Marseille is a fair jaunt down the road from Paris, but still Ireland fielded questions all week about World Cup hangovers, navigating the post-Johnny Sexton era and putting things right.
From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2024
I’m guessing emotional hangovers feel a lot like actual hangovers.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
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.
