headache

noun

head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
1
: pain in the head
2
: a vexatious or baffling situation or problem
meetings had become a giant headacheFranklin Foer
headachy adjective
or less commonly headachey

Examples of headache in a Sentence

I'm starting to get a headache. The symptoms include fever and headache. The city's biggest headache is traffic. Managing your finances can be a real headache.
Recent Examples on the Web Symptoms vary and can include fatigue, difficulty breathing, headaches, brain fog, joint and muscle pain and continued loss of taste and smell, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 20 Mar. 2024 Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash that looks like a bullseye. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024 Side effects can include headaches, vivid dreams, heart palpitations, itching, and digestive problems. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 But for Some, Drinking Tea Can Alleviate Headache Symptoms Though some tea varieties may trigger headaches for some people, there’s also a chance that tea could reduce headache symptoms. Lauren Manaker Ms, Rdn, Health, 13 Mar. 2024 Both groups had significant side effects from their treatment, including brain swelling, fevers and headaches. O’Rourke says researchers are going to have to figure out how to make this safer and easier for patients, maybe by trying to treat some of them earlier in the course of their disease. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Then the drumbeat — hi-hat ticking like a clock; kick drum pounding like a headache — drops out, and Sonne retreats into her own mind. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Typhoid fever has many symptoms, such as a prolonged high fever, headache and malaise, and Mallon had none of them. Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 Symptoms of parrot fever include fever and chills, headache, muscle aches and a dry cough, according to the CDC. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'headache.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of headache was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near headache

Cite this Entry

“Headache.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headache. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

headache

noun
head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
1
: pain in the head
2
: an annoying or baffling situation or problem
headachy adjective

Medical Definition

headache

noun
head·​ache ˈhed-ˌāk How to pronounce headache (audio)
: pain in the head

called also cephalalgia

headachy adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on headache

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