めまい

め

ま

い

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

dizziness; vertigo; giddiness

usually written using kana alone

General term for a sensation of spinning or lightheadedness. Often used in medical or everyday contexts.

急きゅうに立たち上あがったら、めまいがした。
I felt dizzy when I stood up suddenly.
彼かの女じょはめまいを訴うったえて病びょう院いんに行いった。
She went to the hospital complaining of dizziness.

See all 80 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

めまいがするto feel dizzy
朝あさ起おきたら急きゅうにめまいがした。
When I got up this morning, I suddenly felt dizzy.
めまいを感かんじるto feel a sense of dizziness
電でん車しゃの中なかで急きゅうにめまいを感かんじた。
I suddenly felt dizzy while on the train.
めまいで倒たおれるto collapse due to dizziness
彼かれは激はげしいめまいで倒たおれてしまった。
He collapsed from severe dizziness.
めまいがひどいthe dizziness is severe
最さい近きんめまいがひどくて病びょう院いんに行いった。
My dizziness has been so severe lately that I went to the hospital.

Kanji

眩faint, dizzy
暈halo, corona, fade
目eye, class, look

Related words

ふらつき
ふらつき describes unsteady, staggering movement, while めまい is the internal sensation of spinning or lightheadedness.
立たちくらみ
立ちくらみ is the specific dizziness felt upon standing up suddenly, whereas めまい is the general term for any spinning or lightheaded sensation.
目めが回まわるN2
めまい is a noun meaning 'dizziness' or 'vertigo', while 目が回る is a verb phrase describing the experience of feeling dizzy.
クラクラN1
めまい is the noun for a dizzy spell or vertigo, while クラクラ is the onomatopoeic adverb describing that dizzy feeling as it happens.
目めがくらむN1
眩暈 is the noun for dizziness or vertigo, while 目がくらむ is the verb phrase describing the sensation of becoming dizzy or dazzled.

Don't confuse with

貧ひん血けつN1
貧血 is the medical condition of anemia (low red blood cells), while めまい is just the symptom of dizziness that anemia can cause.

Written forms

めまいUsage71%
Usually written in kana.
眩暈めまいUsage15%
Kanji form; rare in modern writing. 眩 means 'dizzy' and 暈 means 'halo' or 'faint'.
目眩めまいUsage8%
Alternate kanji form; rare. 目 means 'eye' and 眩 means 'dizzy'.
目めまいUsage7%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not a standard spelling.
メマイUsage<1%

Etymology

The word めまい is a native Japanese term. The kanji 眩暈 and 目眩 are ateji (characters used for their sounds or meanings rather than etymology). The exact historical derivation is uncertain.