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Synonyms

headache

American  
[hed-eyk] / ˈhɛdˌeɪk /

noun

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

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


headache British  
/ ˈhɛdˌeɪk /

noun

  1. 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

  2. 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

headache Scientific  
/ hĕdāk′ /
  1. 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.

  2. See also cluster headache migraine


Etymology

Origin of headache

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

Compare meaning

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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.

Dunlap left JetBlue in 2018 after struggling with severe headaches that he said got worse with successive fume events, and which his FAA physician was concerned was connected to his exposure.

From The Wall Street Journal

Real-estate agents say home sellers perceive FHA loans as a headache to deal with, in part because the loans come with certain requirements.

From MarketWatch

Proponents of space-based data centers believe they’ll allow the AI industry to avoid Earthly headaches, such as securing the energy needed to train AI models.

From The Wall Street Journal

He still regularly gets bad headaches and avoids flying where he can.

From The Wall Street Journal

However, there are bigger headaches at the moment.

From BBC