目眩（めまい、memai）
- dizziness

The Japanese word 目眩 （めまい） primarily means "dizziness," "vertigo," or "giddiness." 目眩 describes the sensation of feeling unsteady, lightheaded, or as if the surroundings are spinning. It often involves a loss of balance and can be accompanied by other symptoms like nausea or blurred vision.

⚫︎突然、目眩がして倒れてしまった。 Translation: Suddenly, I got dizzy and collapsed. ⚫︎乗り物酔いで目眩が酷い。 Translation: I feel terrible dizziness from motion sickness. ⚫︎疲労が原因で目眩がすることがある。 Translation: I sometimes experience dizziness due to fatigue.

You use 目眩 when describing the feeling of dizziness or vertigo. You can use it in conversations about your health, to report how you feel to a doctor, or when describing someone else's symptoms. It's important to note the cause of the dizziness (e.g., motion sickness, fatigue) when speaking.

The word is typically written as 目眩 (めまい) in kanji and hiragana. The kanji 目 means "eye," and 眩 means "dizziness" or "dazzle." The okurigana (送りがな) is not flexible, as it always uses the hiragana めまい for the pronunciation.

⚫︎眩暈（げんうん）: This is a more formal synonym for 目眩, also meaning dizziness or vertigo. ⚫︎立ちくらみ（たちくらみ）: This refers specifically to lightheadedness or dizziness that occurs when standing up too quickly. ⚫︎ふらつき（ふらつき）: This describes unsteadiness or a swaying feeling.

There aren't direct antonyms for 目眩 as it describes a sensation. However, you could contrast it with feeling: ⚫︎"Steady": If someone is *not* experiencing 目眩, they might describe themselves as "steady" or "stable." ⚫︎"Well": In general, if someone is not feeling 目眩, they are feeling "well" or "healthy".

熱中症で目眩がして、しばらく座って休んだ。 ・Translation: I felt dizzy from heatstroke, and I sat down to rest for a while. ・Explanation: This sentence explains how heatstroke caused the speaker to experience 目眩, and the action taken (resting) as a result.

激しい運動の後、目眩がして、吐き気がした。 ・Translation: After strenuous exercise, I felt dizzy and nauseous. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the symptoms after an intense exercise session: dizziness and nausea.

The etymology of 目眩 is straightforward. 目 refers to the "eye," and 眩 describes a state of "dazzling" or "dizziness." Therefore, the combination of these two characters creates a word that represents the visual sensation and disorientation.