vertigo

noun

ver·​ti·​go ˈvər-ti-ˌgō How to pronounce vertigo (audio)
plural vertigoes or vertigos
1
a
: a sensation of motion in which the individual or the individual's surroundings seem to whirl dizzily
b
: a dizzy confused state of mind
2
: disordered vertiginous movement as a symptom of disease in lower animals
also : a disease (such as gid) causing this

Examples of vertigo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Historically, the doppelgänger emerges in culture during moments of collective vertigo. Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2023 Ryan Mountcastle returned from his vertigo scare and went on a tear, putting up an OPS of .993 across July and August. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 11 Sep. 2023 Many studies link occupational accidents to heat stress, which can cause fatigue, dehydration, and vertigo. Amy Maxmen, CBS News, 30 Aug. 2023 In 30 games since missing a month with vertigo, first baseman Ryan Mountcastle has a 1.056 OPS — 10th among qualified hitters in that span — to raise his overall mark to .791. Nathan Ruiz, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2023 At the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Clark described corruption and neglect, which led to his falling from his bunk while experiencing vertigo in 2021, breaking his pelvis, and being left to suffer overnight despite his pleas for help. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 11 July 2023 The abyssal zone of 13,000 to 20,000 feet, from the Greek word for bottomless, a place of vertigo and loss. Carl Hoffman, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023 One of the main reasons for this is because some people only show dizziness and vertigo as a symptom for stroke, which can unfortunately get misdiagnosed as inner ear disease, Newman-Toker said. Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 18 July 2023 Hitchcock's groundbreaking filming techniques were the first time a dolly zoom was ever used to distort perspective, which created the now-famous vertigo effect. Brandon Livesay, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vertigo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin vertigin-, vertigo, from vertere to turn

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of vertigo was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near vertigo

Cite this Entry

“Vertigo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertigo. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

vertigo

noun
ver·​ti·​go ˈvərt-i-ˌgō How to pronounce vertigo (audio)
plural vertigoes or vertigos
1
: a sensation in which a person or a person's surroundings seem to whirl dizzily
2
: a confused or bewildered state of mind

Medical Definition

vertigo

noun
ver·​ti·​go ˈvərt-i-ˌgō How to pronounce vertigo (audio)
plural vertigoes or vertigos
1
: a sensation of motion which is associated with various disorders (as of the inner ear) and in which the individual or the individual's surroundings seem to whirl dizzily see objective vertigo, subjective vertigo compare dizziness
2
: disordered vertiginous movement as a symptom of disease in lower animals
also : a disease (as gid) causing this

More from Merriam-Webster on vertigo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!