Phrase guide

jet lag

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈd͡ʒɛt.læɡ/
  • Australian: /ˈd͡ʒet.læːɡ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A physical condition caused by crossing time zones during flight; often the result of disruption to the circadian rhythms of the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, medicine, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jet syndrome, circadian dysrhythmia, desynchronosis, time-zone disease, time-zone fatigue

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

fatigue and sleep disturbance resulting from disruption of the body's normal circadian rhythm as a result of jet travel

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: fatigue, weariness, tiredness

History

Etymology

Possibly coined by Horace Sutton in 1966.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: vlugvoosheid — physical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 時差問題 /时差问题 (shíchā wèntí) — physical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 飛行時差反應 /飞行时差反应 (fēixíng shíchā fǎnyìng) — physical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 時差感 /时差感 (shíchāgǎn) — physical condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 倒時差 /倒时差 (dǎo shíchā) — physical condition
  • Czech: pásmová nemoc — physical condition
  • Danish: jetlag — physical condition
  • Dutch: jetlag — physical condition
  • Finnish: aikaerorasitus — physical condition
  • Finnish: aikaero — physical condition
  • French: décalage horaire — physical condition
  • German: Jetlag — physical condition
  • Greek: βιοαπορρύθμιση (vioaporrýthmisi) — physical condition
  • Hebrew: יַעֶפֶת — physical condition
  • Hebrew: ג׳ט לג — physical condition
  • Hungarian: időeltolódás miatti kimerültség — physical condition
  • Hungarian: időátállási probléma — physical condition
  • Hungarian: időzónaugrás szindróma — physical condition
  • Icelandic: dægurvilla — physical condition
  • Icelandic: flugþreyta — physical condition
  • Icelandic: þotuþreyta — physical condition
  • Irish: tuirse aerthaistil — physical condition
  • Italian: jet lag — physical condition
  • Italian: mal di fuso — physical condition
  • Italian: fusopatia — physical condition
  • Japanese: 時差ぼけ (jisa boke) — physical condition
  • Korean: 시차증 (sichajeung) — physical condition
  • Malay: lamban jet — physical condition
  • Malay: gangguan ritma harian — physical condition
  • Norwegian Bokmål: jetlag — physical condition
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: jetlag — physical condition
  • Polish: jet lag — physical condition
  • Polish: jetlag — physical condition
  • Portuguese: jet lag — physical condition
  • Russian: джетла́г (džetlág) — physical condition
  • Russian: десинхрони́я (desinxroníja) — physical condition
  • Slovak: pásmová choroba — physical condition
  • Spanish: trastorno por desfase horario — physical condition
  • Spanish: jet lag — physical condition
  • Swedish: jetlag — physical condition
  • Welsh: lludded jet — physical condition
  • Welsh: jetludded — physical condition