vertigo

Meanings

1. 1noununcountablemedical

   A medical feeling that you or the room is spinning, often caused by a problem in the inner ear.

   Grammar: Uncountable: say 'She suffers from vertigo', not 'a vertigo' or 'vertigos'.

   Patterns

   • suffer from vertigo
   • a attack of vertigo
   • cause vertigo

   After the ear infection, he had vertigo for several weeks.

   She felt a sudden wave of vertigo when she stood up quickly.

   Doctors treat vertigo with special head exercises.

2. 2noununcountable

   A frightening feeling of losing balance, especially when looking down from a great height.

   Grammar: Still uncountable, but here it describes a general sensation rather than a diagnosed condition.

   Patterns

   • feel vertigo
   • give someone vertigo

   Standing on the glass floor gave me vertigo.

   The steep drop made her dizzy with vertigo.

Common combinations

suffer from vertigo

Many older patients suffer from vertigo after a fall.

a bout of vertigo

He missed work because of a bout of vertigo.

feel vertigo

I feel vertigo whenever I look down from a tall building.

vertigo attack

Her vertigo attacks usually last only a few minutes.

treat vertigo

Physiotherapists can treat vertigo with balance training.

Synonyms and how they differ

dizziness

A broader, everyday word for any light-headed feeling; vertigo is narrower and suggests spinning.

giddiness

An informal word for a light, unsteady feeling; it sounds less serious than vertigo.

light-headedness

Describes feeling faint rather than spinning, so it is not a true synonym.

Word family

vertiginous adjective

Extremely high or steep, and often causing dizziness.

Commonly confused: vertigo or dizziness? vertigo or acrophobia?

Practice

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