sinking spell

8.9

A short time when you feel weak, faint, or very low

noun
/ˈsɪŋkɪŋ spɛl/

: episodio de decaimiento

After a few weeks of stress, Maria noticed a sinking spell that left her feeling exhausted and unmotivated.

Examples

Christy, I seem to be having a sinking spell.

Blog text (30)
She said, "You had a little sinking spell."

Fiction book (1991)
During the meeting, he admitted that he was experiencing a sinking spell and couldn't focus on the discussion.
After missing her friends for so long, Jenna had a sinking spell that brought her mood down temporarily.

Antonyms

∞ 3.5

A period of good luck or success

wellness

52 3.2

Good physical and mental health that people try to keep

How Severe

collapse

350 4.1

faint

14 4.4

sinking spell

8.9

dizzy

168 1.0

Surface Forms

sinking spell singular

sinking spells plural

Morphology

sink + spell

The meaning 'a brief period of decline in health or mood' is directly compositional: 'sinking' conveys falling or declining and 'spell' denotes a short period. This transparent verb+noun combination follows common English patterns (and similar constructions exist in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reasonably infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Sinking spell may come from the image of someone's strength or energy sinking, and the word spell meaning a short time when they suddenly feel weak. So it means a brief period when a person feels 'faint' or 'worse'.