morning sickness: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B1Neutral, common in medical, everyday, and informal contexts.
Quick answer
What does “morning sickness” mean?
A feeling of nausea, often accompanied by vomiting, experienced by many pregnant women, typically occurring in the morning but can happen at any time of day.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A feeling of nausea, often accompanied by vomiting, experienced by many pregnant women, typically occurring in the morning but can happen at any time of day.
While primarily associated with pregnancy, the term can be used informally to describe any general feeling of nausea or unwellness upon waking, though this is not the standard medical definition.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The compound noun form is universal.
Connotations
Neutral medical/physiological term in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both UK and US English.
Grammar
How to Use “morning sickness” in a Sentence
[Subject] has/suffers from/experiences morning sickness.[Subject] is plagued by/battling morning sickness.Morning sickness affects [Subject].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “morning sickness” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She's been morning-sickening all week. (Informal, rare)
American English
- She's been battling morning sickness for two months. (No direct verb form used)
adjective
British English
- She had a rough, morning-sickness-filled first trimester. (Compound adjective)
American English
- The morning sickness phase can be challenging. (Noun used attributively)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in discussions of workplace accommodations or health insurance.
Academic
Common in medical, biological, and public health texts discussing pregnancy.
Everyday
Very common in general conversation about pregnancy and health.
Technical
Standard term in obstetrics and midwifery; 'nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP)' is a more formal clinical term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “morning sickness”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “morning sickness”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “morning sickness”
- Using it to refer to general hangover nausea (incorrect).
- Believing it only happens in the morning.
- Spelling as 'morning-sickness' (hyphen is sometimes used but compound noun is standard).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, despite the name, nausea and vomiting can occur at any time of day or night.
It can be, as it is associated with normal hormonal changes, but its absence does not indicate a problem. Every pregnancy is different.
For most women, it peaks around weeks 9-10 and often improves by weeks 12-14 (the start of the second trimester), though it can last longer.
Yes. Dietary changes, acupressure, and vitamin B6 are common first steps. For severe cases (hyperemesis gravidarum), prescription anti-sickness medication and hospital care may be necessary.
A feeling of nausea, often accompanied by vomiting, experienced by many pregnant women, typically occurring in the morning but can happen at any time of day.
Morning sickness is usually neutral, common in medical, everyday, and informal contexts. in register.
Morning sickness: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmɔː.nɪŋ ˌsɪk.nəs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmɔːr.nɪŋ ˌsɪk.nəs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
'MORNING SICKNESS' – Remember it as the 'morning' reminder of new life, even if it makes you feel sick.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SIGN OF CHANGE (The discomfort signals the profound physiological transformation of pregnancy).
Practice
Quiz
What is 'hyperemesis gravidarum'?