Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

head cold

American  

noun

  1. a form of the common cold characterized especially by nasal congestion and sneezing.


Etymology

Origin of head cold

First recorded in 1935–40

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.

Ultrapure-water projects are big, one-off beasts that everybody and his brother wants to build, so even the smart operators can watch their margins get mugged the minute capital spending gets a head cold.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 9, 2025

"I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming. This has been a really fast roller coaster ride of a journey," he said.

From Salon • Nov. 14, 2024

“I went from, I got a little bit of a head cold to I have cancer, and it was pretty overwhelming.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2024

There was a problem, though: Captain Schirra had a heavy head cold, Major Eisele had a lesser cold and Mr. Cunningham, as he would later recall, felt “a little blah.”

From New York Times • Jan. 3, 2023

Strangely, it's my mother's voice I hear in my head, cold and pitiless.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir