hangover
Americannoun
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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
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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 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
After a month and a half of sunny vibes, the city was on the verge of its worst sports hangover in ages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Victory in the first Test against New Zealand was supposed to be a small step towards shaking off the Ashes hangover.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
I had no memory of what I’d ridden by, except the concentration hangover.
From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer
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
And to address what some member states see as irritating hangovers from Brexit.
From BBC ● May 19, 2025
Audiences have grown up with Bridget, aging alongside her and hitting the same benchmarks in marriage, children, death, hangovers and wrinkles.
From Salon ● Feb. 13, 2025
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.
