🗓️ Idiom: A Headache (n)
💬 Meaning
- A problem or situation that causes stress or difficulty
- Something that requires extra time and effort to deal with
🧠 Example Sentences
- The new tax regulations are a real headache for our accounting team.
- Managing international compliance laws can be a constant headache for global companies.
- Preparing for the government inspection gave the entire department a headache.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom “a headache” comes from the literal meaning—a pain in the head—used to describe something that causes mental stress or frustration. It became popular in the 20th century to describe annoying or difficult problems.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
All these new compliance requirements are giving us __________.
Answer
a headache
2. Choose the correct meaning of “a headache”:
A) A simple task
B) A fun activity
C) A stressful or difficult problem
Answer
C) A stressful or difficult problem
3. Rewrite the sentence using “a headache”:
“These constant rule changes are really difficult to manage.”
Answer
These constant rule changes are a real headache.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Business English Idioms List
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