ENGLISH
REFERENCE

toothache

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate UK //tˈuːθeɪk// toothache

n. a sharp or throbbing pain in one of your teeth. It usually happens when a tooth is damaged or infected.

n. a sharp, throbbing, or aching pain in a tooth, typically resulting from dental caries, infection, or trauma.


SIMPLE

I have a bad toothache and I need to see a dentist.

CONTEXTUAL

The child woke up in the middle of the night with a severe toothache that kept the whole family awake.

COMPLEX

While a mild toothache can often be managed with over-the-counter analgesics, persistent or localized pain usually indicates an underlying infection that requires professional intervention.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English toth-ake, from Old English tōþeċe (“toothache”). By surface analysis, tooth + ache.

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