vertiginous

adjective

ver·​tig·​i·​nous (ˌ)vər-ˈti-jə-nəs 

1

a

: characterized by or suffering from vertigo or dizziness

b

: inclined to frequent and often pointless change : inconstant

2

: causing or tending to cause dizziness

the vertiginous heights

3

: marked by turning : rotary

the vertiginous motion of the earth

vertiginously adverb

Did you know?

It is generally necessary to avoid crowded rooms and the vertiginous influence of the dance, one 19th-century medical work advised. We're not sure what condition this advice was aimed at, but it may well have been "vertigo," a disordered state characterized by whirling dizziness. "Vertiginous," from the Latin vertiginosus, is the adjective form of "vertigo," which in Latin means a turning or whirling action. Both words descend from the Latin verb vertere, meaning "to turn." ("Vertiginous" and "vertigo" are just two of an almost dizzying array of "vertere" offspring, from "adverse" to "vortex.") The "dizzying" sense of "vertiginous" is often used figuratively, as in "vertiginous medical discoveries may drastically change life in the 21st century."

Synonyms

• giddy
• dizzy
• whirling
• woozy

Examples of vertiginous in a Sentence

a 3-D effect that is likely to leave some audience members feeling vertiginous

Recent Examples on the Web

And with high interest rates, already vertiginous levels of debt, political upheaval, and challenges to Fed independence, there is now a real risk that a fresh economic shock could precipitate a broader collapse. —Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025

The fall of the industry has been so vertiginous that it’s been hard to fully comprehend its decline. —Eric Benson, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025

On each trip, adventurers will walk the rim of the canyon, explore Monument Valley with a Navajo guide, and trace the vertiginous trails that carve across Zion National Park’s pink sandstone cliffs. —Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 14 Aug. 2025

With a ravishing, at times vertiginous visual approach to filming the natural beauty of the contested land, Martel pays cinematic tribute to people whom history has systematically tried to erase. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin vertiginosus, from vertigin-, vertigo

First Known Use

1608, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Medical Definition

vertiginous

adjective

ver·​tig·​i·​nous (ˌ)vər-ˈtij-ə-nəs 

: of, relating to, characterized by, or affected with vertigo or dizziness