megrims: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low / Archaic / LiteraryLiterary, Humorous, Archaic
Quick answer
What does “megrims” mean?
A state of low spirits, melancholy, or depression.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A state of low spirits, melancholy, or depression; the blues.
Used historically or humorously to describe a fit of ill temper, despondency, or vague physical ailments thought to arise from low spirits.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Slightly more recognized in British English due to its historical literary presence, though extremely rare in both variants.
Connotations
In both, implies an old-fashioned, almost theatrical form of melancholy, not serious clinical depression.
Frequency
Vanishingly rare in everyday speech in both the UK and US. Its appearance is almost exclusively in period literature, historical novels, or for deliberate humorous effect.
Grammar
How to Use “megrims” in a Sentence
[Subject] + suffer from + the megrims[Subject] + be + in the grip of + the megrimsThe megrims + overtake + [Object]Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Only in historical or literary analysis of 18th-19th century texts.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be used humorously among friends with a shared literary sensibility.
Technical
Not used.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “megrims”
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “megrims”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “megrims”
- Using it to mean 'migraines' (though historically related).
- Using it in a serious modern psychological context.
- Misspelling as 'migrims'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Historically, 'megrim' was an old term for migraine. However, the plural 'megrims' in modern usage almost exclusively refers to low spirits or melancholy, not headaches.
It is very rare. When used, it is typically in a literary, humorous, or deliberately old-fashioned way to describe a passing mood, not a serious condition.
'Megrims' suggests a temporary, often slightly self-indulgent or whimsical state of low spirits. 'Depression' is a clinical term for a serious and persistent mental health disorder. Using 'megrims' for clinical depression would be inappropriate and dismissive.
Very rarely. The fixed phrase is almost always 'the megrims' or 'a fit of the megrims'. The singular 'a megrim' might be encountered in historical texts meaning a whim or a migraine.
A state of low spirits, melancholy, or depression.
Megrims is usually literary, humorous, archaic in register.
Megrims: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmiːɡrɪmz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmiːɡrɪmz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MEGa- gloomy GRIMace. The S at the end makes it plural, like having multiple grim moods.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOW SPIRITS ARE A DISEASE / AN AFFLICTION ('suffering from', 'fit of', 'took hold').
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'megrims' be LEAST appropriate?