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:
A global symbol of parties and celebrations but an environmental headache, the humble balloon is undergoing a green revolution thanks to UK researchers.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Glenn Murray: They have got all the forward players you could dream of, but Iraola has a big headache when it comes to finding the right balance between attack and defence.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
American visitors also said flights were a headache, often involving last-minute cancellations, schedule changes and winding itineraries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Salmonella infection could result in diarrhea, nausea, headache and stomach cramps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
And since Lou Ann is a herky.jerky driver, I have a headache by the time we get there.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
He continues to live with memory loss, chronic pain and debilitating headaches.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
The fumes gave her headaches, nausea and breathing trouble, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Careful planning in the early stages of memory loss can prevent financial and estate-planning headaches later.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
LA28 will rely on mostly existing venues for both the Olympics and Paralympics, relieving many of the biggest headaches that have plagued previous organizing committees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
He has headaches and fevers that sometimes send him to his bed.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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.
