noun · 5 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
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈvɜːtɪɡəʊ/
General-American:/ˈvɝtɪɡoʊ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:V ER1 T IH0 G OW2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A sensation of whirling and loss of balance, caused by looking down from a great height or by disease affecting the inner ear.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A disordered or imbalanced state of mind or things analogous to physical vertigo; mental giddiness or dizziness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The act of whirling round and round; rapid rotation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A snail of the genus Vertigo.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dizziness, giddiness, lightheadedness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: symptom
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wert- Proto-Indo-European *wértetor Proto-Italic *wertō Latin vertō Latin -īgō Latin vertīgōbor. English vertigo Borrowed from Latin vertīgō.
Across languages
Translations
58 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
دَوْخَة
(dawḵa)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Arabic:
دُوَار
(duwār)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Arabic:
سَدَر
(sadar)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Arabic:
سَدَارَة
(sadāra)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Armenian:
գլխապտույտ
(glxaptuyt)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Bulgarian:
шемет
(šemet)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Bulgarian:
замайване
(zamajvane)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Bulgarian:
световъртеж
(svetovǎrtež)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Chinese Mandarin:
頭暈 /头晕
(tóuyūn)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Chinese Mandarin:
眩暈 /眩晕
(xuànyùn)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Chinese Mandarin:
頭昏 /头昏
(tóuhūn)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Czech:
závrať
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Danish:
svimmelhed
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Dutch:
duizeligheid
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Esperanto:
vertigo
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Faroese:
svimbul
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Finnish:
huimaus
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
French:
vertige
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
French:
labyrinthite
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Galician:
vertixe
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Georgian:
ბრუ
(bru)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Georgian:
თავბრუ
(tavbru)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Georgian:
თავბრუდასხმა
(tavbrudasxma)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Georgian:
თავბრუსხვევა
(tavbrusxveva)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
German:
Schwindel
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Greek:
ίλιγγος
(ílingos)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Greek:
ζαλάδα
(zaláda)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Greek:
ζάλη
(záli)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Ancient Greek:
ἴλιγξ
(ílinx)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Hindi:
चक्कर
(cakkar)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Hungarian:
szédülés
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Icelandic:
svimi
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Italian:
vertigine
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Japanese:
目眩
(memai)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Japanese:
くらくら
(kurakura)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Kazakh:
бас айналу
(bas ainalu)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Korean:
현기증
(hyeon'gijeung)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Macedonian:
вртоглавица
(vrtoglavica)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Māori:
puano
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Norwegian:
vertigo, svimmelhet
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Persian:
سرگیجه
(sargije)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Polish:
zawroty głowy
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Portuguese:
oura
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Portuguese:
tontura
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Portuguese:
vertigem
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Russian:
головокруже́ние
(golovokružénije)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Serbo-Croatian:
вртоглавица
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Serbo-Croatian:
vrtoglavica
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Slovak:
závrat
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Spanish:
vértigo
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Spanish:
mareo
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Swedish:
svindel, yrsel
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Tagalog:
lula
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Tocharian B:
waipalau
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Ottoman Turkish:
طولاب
(dolab)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Urdu:
چکر
(cakkar)
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Vietnamese:
chóng mặt
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance
Welsh:
pendro
— sensation of whirling and loss of balance