vertiginous
adjective
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It is generally necessary to avoid crowded rooms and the vertiginous influence of the dance, one 19th-century medical work advised. We're not sure what condition this advice was aimed at, but it may well have been "vertigo," a disordered state characterized by whirling dizziness. "Vertiginous," from the Latin vertiginosus, is the adjective form of "vertigo," which in Latin means a turning or whirling action. Both words descend from the Latin verb vertere, meaning "to turn." ("Vertiginous" and "vertigo" are just two of an almost dizzying array of "vertere" offspring, from "adverse" to "vortex.") The "dizzying" sense of "vertiginous" is often used figuratively, as in "vertiginous medical discoveries may drastically change life in the 21st century."
Examples of vertiginous in a Sentence
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 July 2025
The opportunity to knock a ball around on what must surely be one of the most beautiful tennis courts in the world, carefully nestled at sea level with two vertiginous cliffs rising on either side of it.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 9 July 2025
One of the great theatrical speeches written in the last 25 years, this vertiginous paean to America’s pastime was no doubt a factor in O’Hare’s win.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
The vertiginous surge reported by home insurance premiums in Florida has slowed down significantly, though rates remain high.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for vertiginous
Cite this Entry
“Vertiginous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertiginous. Accessed 26 Jul. 2025.
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vertiginous
adjective
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