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

stomach-achy

adjective

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

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

“I cured his stomachache with a blackberry root, but he forgot that.”

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

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