headache

[ hed-eyk ]

/ ˈhɛdˌeɪk /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for headache on Thesaurus.com

noun

a pain located in the head, as over the eyes, at the temples, or at the base of the skull.

an annoying or bothersome person, situation, activity, etc.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of headache

before 1000; Middle English; Old English hēafodece.See head, ache

Words nearby headache

hdw., hdwd, he, head, head above water, keep one's, headache, headachy, head and shoulders above, head-and-tail light, head arrangement, head balance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use headache in a sentence

Still, no one likes to deal with a sore arm and an annoying headache for an entire day, so you might be tempted to take preventative painkillers before getting the vaccine.
How to prepare for getting the COVID-19 vaccine|Tara Santora|February 8, 2021|Popular-Science
Adding to the city’s budget headaches is a ballooning annual pension payment that the city and its mayor have little control over.
Gloria Eagerly Flagged Budget Issues But Is Less Eager to ID Solutions|Lisa Halverstadt|February 4, 2021|Voice of San Diego
The founders also left to their deputies future and ongoing antitrust headaches, as evidenced by Pichai being called to testify before Congress numerous times since the founders’ departure.
With Bezos out as Amazon CEO, Zuckerberg is the last man standing|Elizabeth Dwoskin|February 3, 2021|Washington Post
Despite all the headaches that come with it, homeownership is still the American dream for many.
Divvy Homes secures $110M Series C to help renters become homeowners|Mary Ann Azevedo|February 2, 2021|TechCrunch

Tiny screens require you to strain your eyes to make out fine details, so you’ll most likely end up with a headache, another common and annoying symptom of gaming sickness.
Video games can cause motion sickness—here’s how to fight it|Sandra Gutierrez G.|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
Within days of the first symptom, a headache, the patient was fighting for his life.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Dec 8-14, 2014|William Boot|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why is such a simple countermeasure against headache and disease still so unpopular?
Scroguard, Galactic Cap, and More: Will Anyone Wear Normal Condoms In the Future?|Samantha Allen|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Severe belly pains, a headache, and fever were the only conclusions Breman could draw.
The Original Ebola Hunter|Abby Haglage|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For novice and fitness-enthusiasts alike, the Amiigo's intelligent pattern recognition alleviates a major headache at the gym.
Amiigo Tracker Pairs Data With Deadlifts|Gregory Ferenstein|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His headache cured, the man went home and two months later, he was given a clean bill of health.
Doctors Say Motörhead Is So Hardcore, They Could Make Your Brain Bleed|Brandy Zadrozny|July 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When the family returned from the court house, Orlean had retired at once, complaining of a headache.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Another frequent symptom is repeated and constant headache, which, in the present series of cases, existed in 41.1 per cent.
A Statistical Inquiry Into the Nature and Treatment of Epilepsy|Alexander Hughes Bennett
A tightness took him about the heart, and behind his eyes that pulse of red darkness presaged the beginning of a violent headache.
We're Friends, Now|Henry Hasse
The fumes of the tobacco were carried by the air into the house, and brought back Ruth's sick headache.
Ruth|Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
To the credit of Germany, I must say there was not a shadow of a headache the next morning.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for headache

headache

/ (ˈhɛdˌeɪk) /

noun

pain in the head, caused by dilation of cerebral arteries, muscle contraction, insufficient oxygen in the cerebral blood, reaction to drugs, etcTechnical name: cephalalgia

informal any cause of worry, difficulty, or annoyance

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for headache

headache

[ hĕd′āk′ ]

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. See also cluster headache migraine.

headache

COMPARE MEANINGS

Origin of headache

Words nearby headache

Words related to headache

How to use headache in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for headache

Scientific definitions for headache