Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

chemo brain

American  
[kee-moh breyn] / ˈki moʊ ˌbreɪn /

noun

Medicine/Medical Informal.
  1. a common side effect of some cancer treatments that is characterized by cognitive impairments, such as memory and recall difficulties, confusion, difficulty concentrating, or loss of mental alertness.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Overall, the findings indicate that exercise may help preserve cognitive function and lessen some symptoms of chemo brain during treatment.

From Science Daily Jun. 10, 2026

Many people undergoing chemotherapy experience a frustrating side effect often called "chemo brain."

From Science Daily Jun. 10, 2026

She completed that with "chemo brain" but said the university was "amazing" at supporting her.

From BBC Feb. 25, 2022

It also is observational, so does not show exercise causes thinking to be unaffected by chemo, only that women who move also experience less chemo brain.

From New York Times Oct. 6, 2021

He told her there was something wrong, and it was not chemo brain.

From Seattle Times Dec. 18, 2010

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training