migraine: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
High-frequency, specialized medical/everyday use.Formal, medical, and common everyday use.
Quick answer
What does “migraine” mean?
A severe, often debilitating headache, typically on one side of the head and sometimes accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A severe, often debilitating headache, typically on one side of the head and sometimes accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
Metaphorically, any persistent and troublesome problem or situation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The core medical and colloquial usage is identical. Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Slight tendency for the metaphorical use ('a migraine of a problem') to be more informal in both varieties.
Frequency
Equal frequency in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “migraine” in a Sentence
She suffers from migraines.Stress can trigger a migraine.The migraine left him incapacitated.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “migraine” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Not standard as a verb)
American English
- (Not standard as a verb)
adverb
British English
- (Not standard as an adverb)
American English
- (Not standard as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- migraine-related disabilities
- migraine-specific treatments
American English
- migraine-associated symptoms
- migraine prevention drugs
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used informally to describe a persistently difficult project or client ('That account is a complete migraine.').
Academic
Used in medical, neurological, and public health research contexts.
Everyday
Commonly used to describe the condition and its impact on daily life.
Technical
Specific in neurology, with classifications like 'migraine with aura', 'hemiplegic migraine'.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “migraine”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “migraine”
- Using 'migraine' for any mild headache.
- Misspelling as 'migrain', 'meegraine'.
- Incorrectly using as a verb (e.g., 'I am migraining').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A migraine is a specific neurological disorder often involving severe, throbbing pain, nausea, and sensitivity to stimuli, whereas 'headache' is a broader term for any pain in the head.
No, 'migraine' is only a noun. You cannot say 'I am migraining'. Correct usage is 'I have a migraine' or 'I am suffering from a migraine'.
Yes, especially in informal contexts to describe a very annoying or persistent problem (e.g., 'The software update has been a real migraine').
In British English, the first syllable sounds like 'me' (/miː/). In American English, it sounds like 'my' (/maɪ/).
A severe, often debilitating headache, typically on one side of the head and sometimes accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound.
Migraine is usually formal, medical, and common everyday use. in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a real migraine (figurative)”
- “a migraine of a problem (figurative)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'My brain' is in pain with a MIGRAINE.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PROBLEM IS A PAIN / A NUISANCE IS A PHYSICAL AILMENT.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT typically associated with a migraine?