migraine

American  

[mahy-greyn, mee-] / ˈmaɪ greɪn, ˈmi- /

noun

1. an extremely severe paroxysmal headache, usually confined to one side of the head and often associated with nausea; hemicrania.

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migraine British  

/ ˈmaɪ-, ˈmiːɡreɪn /

noun

1. a throbbing headache usually affecting only one side of the head and commonly accompanied by nausea and visual disturbances

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migraine Scientific  

/ mī′grān′ /

1. A severe recurring headache, usually affecting only one side of the head, that is characterized by sharp, throbbing pain and is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and visual disturbances. Vasodilation in the brain causes inflammation that results in pain, but the exact cause of migraine is unknown.

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Other Word Forms

• migrainoid adjective
• migrainous adjective

Etymology

Origin of migraine

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin hēmicrānia hemicrania; megrim

Compare meaning

How does migraine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• headache vs. migraine

Example Sentences

They had 14% higher odds of reporting two or more conditions, including migraine, back problems, cancer, epilepsy or diabetes.

From Science Daily

Rizzo, 26, had botox injected into her jaw in the hope it would relieve pain and migraines after watching videos online.

From BBC

She experienced light sensitivity, tremors, terrible migraines and issues with her memory and ability to speak clearly, she said.

From BBC

“Wow, I just got hit with the worst migraine.”

From Literature

Most of the medications treat common conditions like migraines, obesity, diabetes and asthma.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• headache
• sick headache