dizzy
Americanadjective
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having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall; giddy; vertiginous.
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causing giddiness or confusion.
a dizzy height.
verb (used with object)
adjective
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affected with a whirling or reeling sensation; giddy
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mentally confused or bewildered
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causing or tending to cause vertigo or bewilderment
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informal foolish or flighty
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has dizziedperfect 3rd person singular
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have dizziedperfect
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has been dizzyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been dizzyingperfect progressive
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am dizzyingprogressive 1st person singular
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dizzyingparticiple
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are dizzyingprogressive
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is dizzyingprogressive 3rd person singular
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dizziessingular 3rd person
Past
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had dizziedperfect
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were dizzyingprogressive plural
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was dizzyingprogressive singular
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had been dizzyingperfect progressive
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dizziedparticiple
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dizziedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of dizzy
First recorded before 900; Middle English dysy, Old English dysig “foolish”; cognate with Low German düsig “stupefied”
Explanation
When you're dizzy, you have a spinning or woozy sensation — you might even feel like you'l fall over. You'll probably feel dizzy for a while when you get off the whirling tea cup ride at the fair. Some people feel dizzy when they're up high, either on a ladder or at the top of a tall building or bridge. Others only get dizzy when they're coming down with the flu or after riding on the merry-go-round at the park. Another way to be dizzy is to be silly or frivolous: "I can't take him seriously, he's just so dizzy all the time." Dizzy comes from the Old English dysig, "foolish or stupid."
Vocabulary lists containing dizzy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"At first I just felt dizzy -- it didn't occur to me it was an earthquake, I'd never experienced that before," Carmel Delgado, a 47‑year‑old economist, told AFP.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
“So we’re trying to evacuate, and I’m getting dizzy with a headache in the middle of it.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Inner-ear problems can also affect balance, and if someone is feeling dizzy or unsteady, they are likely to walk slower.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
"It went from feeling dizzy to being in a wheelchair in a month," he added.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
I felt dizzy and had a sudden pain in the side of my stomach.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
