noun ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A pain or ache in the head.

   "I have a splitting headache after that party last night."

2. 2
   something or someone that causes anxiety; a source of unhappiness wordnet
3. 3
   A nuisance or unpleasant problem. figuratively

   "The clumsy filing system has been a huge headache."

4. 4
   pain in the head caused by dilation of cerebral arteries or muscle contractions or a reaction to drugs wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

annoyancebothercephalalgiacephalalgiaacheaching

Example

More examples

"So annoying... Now I get a headache whenever I use the computer!"

Etymology

From Middle English hevedeche, from Old English hēafodeċe, equivalent to head + ache.

Related phrases

I have a headachealarm clock headachecluster headacheheadache treeheadache vinehypnic headacheice cream headacheice-pick headacheicecream headachemigraine headachered wine headachesexual headache

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.