motion sickness

American

noun

Pathology.

a feeling of nausea and dizziness, sometimes accompanied by vomiting, resulting from stimulation by motion of the semicircular canals of the ear during travel by car, plane, etc.

motion sickness British

noun

the state or condition of being dizzy or nauseous from riding in a moving vehicle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of motion sickness

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

motion sickness

Passengers prone to motion sickness are bemoaning the spotty availability of the once-reliable barf bag.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Experts also say we can become desensitised to motion sickness through prolonged exposure.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Academics say there are several steps passengers can take to reduce feelings of motion sickness.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

The lack of physical windows might exacerbate feelings of motion sickness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

The image zoomed and spun at first, so I got motion sickness just watching it.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023