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migraine

migraine, severe headache

noun mee-GREN Rare

Origin: Greek 'hemicrania' (half-skull pain)

Usage Note

Migraine in French refers specifically to a migraine headache (not just any headache, which is un mal de tête). Colloquially, however, French speakers often say j'ai la migraine to mean a bad headache generally. Ça me donne la migraine figuratively means something is giving you a headache (is very annoying).

Examples

"Elle a une migraine terrible depuis ce matin."

Natural Translation

She has had a terrible migraine since this morning.

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