What does hangover mean?
A hangover is the unpleasant physical condition that can follow drinking too much alcohol, typically involving headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. The term is also used figuratively for a troublesome consequence that lingers after an event, decision, or period of activity, as in the economic hangover of a financial crisis. In conversation, a hangover is often treated with humor, while the figurative use can be serious and is common in journalism, business, and political discussion. The word’s imagery is especially memorable: it presents the aftermath as something that seems to hang over a person. Although its familiar medical meaning concerns alcohol, the expression can describe any lingering problem or adjustment following an intense or consequential experience.
nounA condition of unpleasant physical symptoms, especially headache, nausea, and dizziness, caused by drinking too much alcohol. By extension, it can refer to a troublesome consequence or lingering adverse effect of an earlier event or decision.
- Physical illness and discomfort experienced after drinking an excessive amount of alcohol.
- A troublesome consequence, burden, or adverse effect that lingers after an event, decision, or period of activity.
"After the celebration, she was stuck at home with a severe hangover."
"I woke up with a splitting headache and a terrible hangover."
"The company is still dealing with the hangover of its failed expansion."
The regular plural is used for separate instances of the condition or separate lingering consequences.
"The article examines several common hangovers and their possible causes."
A hangover is the classic morning-after, while the word itself gives the unfortunate feeling a vivid sense of hanging over you.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hangover come from?
The word developed in the 19th century from the combination of “hang” and “over,” with the medical sense referring to the sensation of feeling as though something were hanging over the drinker. “Hang” descends from Old English Germanic roots, while “over” comes from Old English “ofer,” meaning above or beyond. The related word “overhang” shares the same compound formation and its image of something extending or suspended above something else.
How hangover is actually used
The word is common in everyday English and is generally neutral rather than highly formal. Its figurative sense is widely used for consequences that continue to cause difficulty after the original event has passed.