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.

“I mean, Luther said ‘Never too much,’ right,” the singer and actor told Sherri Shepherd, quoting Luther Vandross, after the host asked her if she had a stomachache from all the sweetness.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

Side effects of cetirizine may include drowsiness, stomachache, fatigue, dry mouth, sore throat, diarrhea and nausea.

From Seattle Times • May 29, 2024

It’s not giving anything away to say that Amber, hopelessly smitten with Joe and unaware she was pregnant, has given birth alone after suffering from what she thought was a stomachache.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 20, 2023

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

From Washington Times • May 22, 2023

I could keep this up for hours and loved it until one day I had a stomachache and went home crying.

From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers

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