morning sickness

American

noun

nausea occurring in the early part of the day, especially as a characteristic symptom in the first months of pregnancy.

morning sickness British

noun

nausea occurring shortly after rising: an early symptom of pregnancy

"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 morning sickness

First recorded in 1875–80

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:

morning sickness

In the UK, all pregnant women can access free NHS dental treatment - hormonal changes as well as things like morning sickness and acid reflux increase the risk of damage to teeth.

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

One version of the molecule helped treat morning sickness in pregnant women, while its mirror image caused serious birth defects.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 21, 2026

The intense morning sickness she endured during the pregnancy had eroded the enamel on her teeth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

While regular morning sickness typically subsides at around 12 weeks, HG can last the whole time.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2024

Emma suffered from morning sickness and other discomforts of pregnancy; Charles had headaches and was often nauseated.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

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