altitude sickness: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Medical/Travel/Informal
Quick answer
What does “altitude sickness” mean?
A medical condition caused by exposure to low air pressure and oxygen levels at high altitudes.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A medical condition caused by exposure to low air pressure and oxygen levels at high altitudes.
A condition with symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath, experienced when ascending too quickly to high elevations (typically above 2,500 metres/8,000 feet) without proper acclimatisation. It can range from mild to life-threatening forms like High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical difference. Both use 'altitude sickness' predominantly. The term 'mountain sickness' may be slightly more frequent in British informal contexts, but this is minor.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both regions due to the global nature of travel and mountaineering discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “altitude sickness” in a Sentence
experience ~suffer from ~be prone to ~prevent ~treat ~~ sets in~ strikesVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “altitude sickness” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She altitude-sickened on the first day of the trek.
- They were worried about altitude-sickening the clients.
American English
- He altitude-sickened during the ascent. (Note: Very rare; 'got altitude sickness' is vastly more common.)
adjective
British English
- The altitude-sick climber had to descend.
- They discussed altitude-sickness symptoms.
American English
- The altitude-sick hiker needed oxygen.
- Altitude-sickness medication is essential.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in travel insurance, adventure tourism, or HR policies for high-altitude work assignments.
Academic
Common in medical, physiological, and sports science journals discussing hypoxia and acclimatisation.
Everyday
Common in travel anecdotes, hiking and climbing discussions.
Technical
Standard term in aviation medicine, wilderness medicine, and mountaineering guides, with specific classifications (AMS, HAPE, HACE).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “altitude sickness”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “altitude sickness”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “altitude sickness”
- Using 'height sickness' (incorrect).
- Confusing it with 'hypoxia' (a specific mechanism, not the illness).
- Misspelling as 'attitude sickness'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The primary cause is ascending to high altitude too quickly, not allowing the body time to acclimatise to the lower oxygen pressure.
The best prevention is gradual ascent (e.g., not climbing more than 300-500 metres per day above 2,500m), staying hydrated, avoiding alcohol, and considering preventive medication like acetazolamide after consulting a doctor.
Mild altitude sickness (AMS) involves headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Severe forms involve life-threatening fluid buildup in the lungs (HAPE) or brain (HACE), requiring immediate descent and medical attention.
No, fitness does not confer immunity. Even very fit individuals can be severely affected. The key factor is the rate of ascent and individual physiological susceptibility.
A medical condition caused by exposure to low air pressure and oxygen levels at high altitudes.
Altitude sickness is usually medical/travel/informal in register.
Altitude sickness: in British English it is pronounced /ˈæltɪtjuːd ˈsɪknəs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈæltɪtuːd ˈsɪknəs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hit the wall (in a broader endurance context, not exclusively altitude)”
- “Feeling the height”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: ALTITUDE makes you SICK. High up = feeling icky. 'Altitude' sounds like 'all tight' – your head feels all tight and sick.
Conceptual Metaphor
HEIGHT IS A TOXIN / PRESSURE (The environment itself becomes a hostile, poisoning agent).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a typical synonym or related term for 'altitude sickness'?