migraine
Americannoun
-
migraines
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of migraine
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin hēmicrānia hemicrania; cf. megrim
Compare meaning
How does migraine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A migraine is a severe headache. When you get a migraine, you'll probably want to stay in bed, in a dark room, until it passes. When you get a headache that's so painful that you can't work or function, you've probably got a migraine. It's usually women who get migraines, and you are either a person who gets migraines throughout your life, or you never get one at all. Migraines often come with side effects like nausea and blurred vision, and they often affect just one side of the head. The word comes from the Greek hemi-, "half" and kranion, "skull."
Vocabulary lists containing migraine
Before the Ever After
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Planet Middle School
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The Lions of Little Rock
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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:
AI models can think harder and longer on math problems any of us—and without getting a migraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Kim told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast she was initially prescribed migraine medication but after a few days the pain had not subsided and she went to A&E.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Lilly’s existing pain portfolio centers on Emgality, an injectable medication to prevent migraine pain and treat cluster headaches.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
They had 14% higher odds of reporting two or more conditions, including migraine, back problems, cancer, epilepsy or diabetes.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 24, 2026
When I let my thoughts go there—if for a moment Johnny and Mirren are out of sight, if for even a second we are alone—the sharp pain of unrequited love invites the migraine in.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
Her first symptom was choking “badly” on some water in December 2024, then she had migraines and problems swallowing pills.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
Women may be particularly vulnerable to the drugs’s side effects, which can also include nausea, diarrhea, migraines and rarer cases of pancreatitis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
Her symptoms range from abdominal cramping and severe bloating to migraines, fatigue, as well as bladder and bowel problems.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
The retired nurse, 82, said the pollution made her afraid to go out and aggravated her dizziness and migraines.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
Charlie now suffered from migraines, and was consumed with what might happen next.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
