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.

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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

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headache Scientific  

/ hĕd′āk′ /

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

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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:

• headache vs. migraine

Example Sentences

Residents began to complain of an “unbearable” stench that they said caused headaches, nausea, and eye, ear and nose irritation.

From Los Angeles Times

Finally, really small actuators made using traditional electric motors tend to get too hot for their own good at such scales – another headache.

From BBC

Sometimes throbbing headaches stopped her from reading and writing.

From Literature

By the end of each day, he had a bleach headache plus a hunger headache.

From Literature

"Clubs wanted to ensure they were in a compliant position rather than having an additional headache of being hamstrung under the new rules."

From BBC

Related Words

• dilemma
• hassle
• inconvenience
• trouble
• worry