adj.

1. Turning about an axis; revolving or whirling.
2. Affected by vertigo; dizzy. See synonyms at giddy.
3. Tending to produce vertigo: “my small mind contained in earthly human limits, not lost in vertiginous space and elements unknown” (Diana Cooper).
4. Inclined to change quickly; unstable.

[From Latin vertīgō, vertīgin-, a whirling, from vertere, to turn. See version.]

vertiginously ver·tig'i·nous·ly adv.
vertiginousness ver·tig'i·nous·ness n.

Vertiginous was high on our list of searches after mudslides forced the closing of the scenic Beartooth Highway to Yellowstone Park:

"Beartooth looks like a schematic illustration of the small intestine. It is not the fast way from anywhere to anywhere else. It is not even the only way from anywhere to anywhere else. It is simply the most vertiginous way."

Link: Beartooth, Buried

Posted June 14, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adjective

1. Having a sensation of whirling or falling: dizzy, giddy, lightheaded, reeling, woozy. See awareness/unawareness.
2. Producing dizziness or vertigo: dizzy, dizzying, giddy. See awareness/unawareness.

[ad. L. vertigo, a whirling]  /ver TIJ uh nus/
1) revolving; whirling round  2) affected with vertigo or dizziness; giddy, dizzy  3) unstable

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - svimmel, hvirvlende, ør, svimlende

Nederlands (Dutch)
duizelig (makend), veranderlijk, roterend

Français (French)
adj. - vertigineux

Deutsch (German)
adj. - schwindelerregend

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - στροβιλιζόμενος, ιλιγγιών, ζαλισμένος, περιδινητικός

Italiano (Italian)
vertiginoso

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - vertiginoso

Русский (Russian)
головокружительный, испытывающий головокружение, крутящийся

Español (Spanish)
adj. - vertiginoso

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - yr, svindlande, roterande, ombytlig

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
旋转的, 眼花的, 眩晕的

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 旋轉的, 眼花的, 眩暈的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 현기증 나는, 변하기 쉬운, 불안정한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - めまいがする, ぐるぐる回る, 変わりやすい, めまいのする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مصاب بالدوار, مدوخ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מסחרר, גורם סחרחורת, של סחרחורת, מסתובב‬

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