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
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.
Fans who were in the crowd at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis posted comments on videos of the incident, saying that after he was hit, Sykes’ energy “completely shifted” and he was dizzy.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
"We sit here every two to three hours, so that we do not feel weak or dizzy," said 17-year-old salt worker Bhavna Rathore.
From Barron's • May 10, 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
Some medicines can also make it harder to regulate your temperature, or mean you are more likely to burn in the sun, feel dizzy, or become dehydrated.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
When I looked into his eyes, I felt dizzy and exhilarated, as though I was balancing at the edge of a cliff, one step away from falling or flying.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
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.
