toothache
Americannoun
-
toothaches
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of toothache
before 1050; Middle English tothache, Old English tōthæce, tōthece. See tooth, ache
Explanation
A toothache is pain that you feel in your tooth or jaw, especially pain that lasts for a while. A cavity is one thing that can give you a bad toothache — so be sure to floss regularly. Breaking a tooth on a hard piece of candy, grinding your teeth at night, not going to the dentist for months, or eating too soon after dental surgery — all of these can result in a toothache. There's also the short, sharp pain of biting into something cold, which is less likely to be described as a toothache. For a true toothache, it's usually a good idea to see a dentist.
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:
It’s a reminder that even in something as everyday as toothache, our evolutionary history is written in our teeth, but shaped as much by modern habits as by ancient biology.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026
I had a nagging toothache recently, and it led to an even more painful revelation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2026
Their attendance at hearings was intermittent and they gave excuses such as "toothache" and a "car accident" for not turning up.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2025
Marten had been due to start giving evidence on Tuesday but complained of a toothache and headache.
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2025
He switched on a flashlight, woke up the young captain, and told him he had a monster toothache.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
For instance, Pliny the Elder, the ancient Roman author and philosopher, developed 27 different medical remedies using onions, ranging from curing bad vision and insomnia, to healing dysentery, mouth sores and toothaches.
From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2024
These plants—in the form of ointments, potions, or burning smoke—were prescribed for everything from earaches and toothaches to flatulence and “pains of the womb.”
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 7, 2024
The source noted that she has been served soft food as well as a medicated jelly intended to relieve her toothaches.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2023
Posts on social media showed many parents, fearing their children might get COVID, are using pretexts such as toothaches or ear infections to pull them from school.
From Reuters ● Nov. 22, 2022
It’s her own medal of Saint Christopher—protector o travelers, guardian against storms, holy death, and toothaches.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
