Definition

A medical term for the pain associated with menstruation, often experienced as cramps in the lower abdomen.

Example

Many women experience dysmenorrhea during their menstrual cycle.

Conversation

I heard you were feeling unwell yesterday, what happened?

Yeah, I had really bad dysmenorrhea that made it hard to move.

Oh no, that sounds painful!

It really was, but I took some medicine and it helped a bit.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Dysmenorrhea is formed from "dys-" (meaning bad or difficult) and "menorrhea" (from Greek "mēn" meaning month and "rhein" meaning to flow). The term describes a condition of difficult or painful menstrual flow.

Memory Tip

Think of 'dys-' meaning bad or difficult, and 'menorrhea' referring to the monthly flow — this helps you remember that dysmenorrhea means painful or difficult menstrual flow.

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