giddy

American  

[gid-ee] / ˈgɪd i /

adjective

giddier, giddiest

1. affected with vertigo; dizzy.

   Synonyms:

   vertiginous, lightheaded

2. attended with or causing dizziness.

   a giddy climb.

3. frivolous and lighthearted; flighty.

   a giddy young person.

   Synonyms:

   vacillating, inconstant, fickle, mercurial, volatile, unstable

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verb (used with or without object)

giddied, giddying

1. to make or become giddy.

giddy British  

/ ˈɡɪdɪ /

adjective

1. affected with a reeling sensation and feeling as if about to fall; dizzy

2. causing or tending to cause vertigo

3. impulsive; scatterbrained

4. an exclamation of surprise

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verb

1. to make or become giddy

Other Word Forms

• giddily
  adverb
• giddiness
  noun
• ungiddy
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of giddy

First recorded before 1000; Middle English gidy, Old English gidig “mad,” variant of gydig (unrecorded), derivative of god God, presumably originally “possessed by a divine being”

Explanation

If you've ever spun in circles until you fell to the ground laughing, you know how it feels to be giddy. This adjective can mean dizzy, elated, or — as in the spinning around example — a lightheaded, lighthearted combination of the two. The hackneyed phrase "giddy as a schoolgirl" calls forth the image of a kid giggling with her friends over some adolescent foolishness. Giddy has been used to describe someone incapable of serious thought or easily excited as far back as the 16th century. Given that, in modern usage, giddy describes someone silly and frivolous, it's interesting to know that the Old English source for this word has a slightly darker tinge: gidig means "insane" or "god-possessed."

Example Sentences

Giddy emotions run high and feel as if they will last forever.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

“It’s just a sweet little town. So quiet,” said Holli Rae, a filmmaker and former Angeleno who opened the Giddy Up about two years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Giddy and star-struck, Bern initially comes off as a near-caricature.

From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023

Released on Feb. 3, it already has two singles - the line-dancing upbeat country number "Giddy Up!" and the aspirational and catchy "Waking Up Dreaming."

From Reuters • Feb. 7, 2023

Giddy with relief, I felt myself to be invisible.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Related Words

• bemused
• dizzy
• gaga
• skittish
• woozy