Synonyms

stomachache

American

[stuhm-uhk-eyk] / ˈstʌm əkˌeɪk /

Or stomach ache

noun

pain in the stomach or abdomen; colic.

stomachache British

/ ˈstʌməkˌeɪk /

noun

Technical name: gastralgia. Also called: stomach upset. upset stomach. pain in the stomach or abdominal region, as from acute indigestion

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

stomach-achy

adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

stomachaches

plural

Etymology

Origin of stomachache

First recorded in 1755–65; stomach + ache

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.

But like a stomachache from too much candy, the pain was short-lived.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2025

I could send a chunk of money to somebody I love and it doesn’t give me like that really bad stomachache where I go, “I’m gonna vomit, but it was the class move.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2023

But she worsened on May 17, with visits to the medical unit for vomiting and a stomachache.

From Washington Times • May 22, 2023

It was an “Aladdin”-like play called “Billy’s Wonderful Kettle” in Manchester, England, and the 7-year-old McDermott was so excited the night before, he got a stomachache that kept him from going.

From New York Times • Mar. 31, 2023

I tell her I have an awful stomachache and a headache and convince her to pick me up.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023