earache

E1A1R1A1C3H4E1
UK/ˈɪə̯ɹeɪk/US/ˈiɹeɪk/

noun

A pain in the middle or inner ear.

“I can't stay too late at the pub, otherwise I'll get a load of earache from the missus.”

Similar
otalgiaotodynia
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounearache (countable and uncountable, plural earaches)

plural earaches

  1. countableuncountablemedicineA pain in the middle or inner ear.

    Luckily, besides an earache from the sudden repressurization, he suffered no other effects.

    2020, John Rocco, How We Got to the Moon, page 134

    Synonyms: otalgia, otodynia

  2. countableinformaluncountableAnnoyance or aggravation caused by noise, especially the sound of someone nagging, complaining, issuing orders, etc.

    I can't stay too late at the pub, otherwise I'll get a load of earache from the missus.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA pain in the middle or inner ear.

Similar
otalgiaotodynia

More synonyms by meaning

nounan ache localized in the middle or inner ear

Similar
otalgia
Broader
acheaching
Also see
otalgia

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From ear + ache.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أَلَم الأُذُنِ, أَلَم الأُذْنِ
  • أَلَم الأُذُنِ (ʔalam al-ʔuḏuni)pain in the ear
  • أَلَم الأُذْنِ (ʔalam al-ʔuḏni)pain in the ear
Bulgarian болка в ухото
  • болка в ухото (bolka v uhoto)pain in the ear
Catalan otàlgia
  • otàlgiapain in the ear
Chinese Mandarin 耳痛
  • 耳痛 (ěrtòng)pain in the ear
Danish ørepine
  • ørepinepain in the ear
Dutch oorpijn
  • oorpijnpain in the ear
Esperanto oreldoloro
  • oreldoloropain in the ear
Finnish korvasärky, korvakipu
  • korvasärkypain in the ear
  • korvakipupain in the ear
  • otalgiapain in the ear
French otalgie
  • otalgiepain in the ear
German Ohrenschmerzen
  • Ohrenschmerzenpain in the ear
Greek πόνος αυτιού, ωταλγία
  • πόνος αυτιού (pónos aftioú)pain in the ear
  • ωταλγία (otalgía)pain in the ear
  • πόνος στο αυτί (pónos sto aftí)pain in the ear
Indonesian sakit telinga
  • sakit telingapain in the ear
Italian otalgia
  • otalgiapain in the ear
Japanese 耳痛
  • 耳痛 (jitsū)pain in the ear
Malay sakit telinga
  • sakit telingapain in the ear
Norwegian Bokmål øreverk, ørepine
  • øreverkpain in the ear
  • ørepinepain in the ear
Polish otalgia, ból ucha
  • otalgiapain in the ear
  • ból uchapain in the ear
Portuguese otalgia
  • otalgiapain in the ear
Romanian durere de ureche
  • durere de urechepain in the ear
Russian ушна́я боль, оталги́я
  • ушна́я боль (ušnája bolʹ)pain in the ear
  • оталги́я (otalgíja)pain in the ear
Spanish dolor de oído, otalgia
  • dolor de oídopain in the ear
  • otalgiapain in the ear
Tagalog sakit-tainga
  • sakit-taingapain in the ear
Tamil காதுவலி, செவிக்குத்து
  • காதுவலி (kātuvali)pain in the ear
  • செவிக்குத்து (cevikkuttu)pain in the ear
  • செவிவலி (cevivali)pain in the ear
  • காதுக்குத்து (kātukkuttu)pain in the ear
Turkish kulak ağrısı
  • kulak ağrısıpain in the ear
Welsh pigyn clust
  • pigyn clustpain in the ear
Cite this entry
APA

earache. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earache

MLA

“earache.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earache. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “earache,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/earache.

Source: earache on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.