Headachy

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Producing or accompanied by a throbbing pain in the head
2. Marked by or tending to bring on a sensation of discomfort in the skull and brain
3. Having the quality of inducing or being associated with head pain

Etymology: "Headachy" is a plain formation: the noun "headache" with the adjective-forming suffix "-y" added to it, giving the sense "suffering from or characterized by headache." The noun itself is a compound of "head" and "ache," and the "-y" ending follows the same pattern as countless English adjectives such as "sleepy" or "rainy," which descend from Old English "-ig" through Middle English "-y." Because the word is built transparently from two English parts, there is no hidden foreign root or dramatic shift in meaning to report. Its story is simply the story of "headache" with a common adjective ending attached.

Synonyms: achy