have a thick head
A British informal expression meaning to have a hangover -- the feeling of a heavy, dull, or aching head after drinking too much alcohol.
Definitions
A British informal expression meaning to have a hangover -- the feeling of a heavy, dull, or aching head after drinking too much alcohol. The phrase is common in casual British English speech and is polite enough for mixed company. 'Thick head' captures the subjective sensation of the hangover accurately: not sharp pain but a dull, dense, uncomfortable heaviness. Polite enough to use in front of grandparents.
He had a thick head all of Sunday morning and couldn't face anything louder than a cup of tea.
Comments
British informal for being hungover — that foggy, heavy-headed state after a night of heavy drinking where your brain feels like it's been stuffed with wet sand. The 'thick' here captures the sensation perfectly: everything feels sluggish, dense, and slightly miserable. You'll hear it muttered on Sunday mornings across the UK by people vowing to drink less, at least until next Friday. A very relatable phrase with satisfying descriptive accuracy.
I have a thick head this morning — should never have said yes to that third round of shots.
"have a thick head" means: British informal for being hungover — that foggy, heavy-headed state after a night of heavy drinking where your brain feels like it's been s.... This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
"have a thick head" means: British informal for being hungover — that foggy, heavy-headed state after a night of heavy drinking where your brain feels like it's been s.... Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (British) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use
Comments
(UK, informal) To be hungover.
Comments
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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