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:
US gas prices rose 9.1 percent in September alone, according to official figures, a headache for residents in a state like Florida, where most people rely on cars to get around.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
That all changed on 21 April last year, when the then-22-year-old fell ill with a terrible headache after getting off a rollercoaster at a theme park in Southend, Essex.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
"I'm short of breath and have a headache breathing air now. But I still have to work," Imrayedi, a 63-year-old motorcycle taxi driver in Pekanbaru city, on Sumatra island, told BBC Indonesian last week.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Or is it a financial and logistical headache?
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
My mother called me down for supper, but I pretended at first to have a headache.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
He began experiencing severe headaches and a few days later told his family his breathing was becoming more difficult.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
"I am still nursing an internal wound in my eyes," he said, adding that he now experiences shortness of breath and constant headaches.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
Studies have found oil wells can emit carcinogens and are linked to adverse health effects including respiratory issues, headaches, throat irritation and other problems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
AI agents bring new headaches to online sellers.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Maybe the headaches would stop once she was at Dorian’s side.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
