dizzy

[diz-ee]

adjective

dizzier, dizziest 

1. having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall; giddy; vertiginous.

2. bewildered; confused.

3. causing giddiness or confusion.

   a dizzy height.

4. heedless; thoughtless.

5. Informal.,  foolish; silly.

verb (used with object)

dizzied, dizzying 

1. to make dizzy.

dizzy

/ ˈdɪzɪ /

adjective

1. affected with a whirling or reeling sensation; giddy

2. mentally confused or bewildered

3. causing or tending to cause vertigo or bewilderment

4. informal,  foolish or flighty

verb

1. (tr) to make dizzy

Other Word Forms

• dizzily adverb
• dizziness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dizzy¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English dysy, Old English dysig “foolish”; cognate with Low German düsig “stupefied”

Word History and Origins

Origin of dizzy¹

Old English dysig silly; related to Old High German tusīg weak, Old Norse dos quiet

Example Sentences

He lost more than 20kg in the first few months, causing him dizzy spells.

From BBC

There would be more glamorous stops along the way to reaching the dizzy heights of the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

From BBC

Lesser bands stuck on 10 could only dream of such dizzy sonic heights.

From BBC

Ms Lee was prescribed Nortriptyline as a trial in 2017 after telling a doctor she was having trouble sleeping and felt dizzy following her husband's cancer diagnosis.

From BBC

He drove her to his waterside villa in Zhupingsha village, near the Chinese city of Dongguan, where he gave her a whisky cocktail that left her so dizzy that she says she could barely move.

From BBC

Related Words

• dazed 
• distracted 
• dumb 
• giddy 
• groggy 
• shaky 
• wobbly 
• woozy