Etymologically
Log in

headache

Etymology and origin of the English word headache

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
c. 1000
From
Old English hēafodece
Ultimate origin
Old English (hēafodece)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈhed.eɪk/[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old English hēafodece,[2][3] a compound of hēafod, head, and ece, ache.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

An ache or continuous pain in the head: about 1000.[4]

Semantic evolution

The colloquial sense, a troublesome or annoying problem, is attested by 1934, at first American.[2][4] Headachy is from 1705.[2] In country speech the wild poppy was called headache (before 1825), from the effect of its smell.[4]

Timeline

  • c. 1000 – hēafodece.[4]
  • 1705 – headachy.[2]
  • before 1825 – the wild poppy (rustic).[4]
  • 1934 – a troublesome problem.[2][4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A continuous pain in the head.
  2. (informal) A troublesome problem or worry.

Word family

  • headachy
  • cluster headache
  • sick headache

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press

Related etymologies

  • clip · also from Old English
  • bold · also from Old English
  • forty · also from Old English
  • flesh · also from Old English
  • overcome · also from Old English
  • weed · also from Old English
  • stroke · also from Old English
  • pit · also from Old English
Cite this entry

“Headache.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/headache. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·