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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dizzysimple
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dizziessimple
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have dizziedperfect
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has dizziedperfect
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am dizzyingprogressive
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are dizzyingprogressive
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is dizzyingprogressive
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have been dizzyingperfect progressive
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has been dizzyingperfect progressive
Past
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dizziedsimple
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had dizziedperfect
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was dizzyingprogressive
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were dizzyingprogressive
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had been dizzyingperfect progressive
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
The Italian laboured around the court and lost three successive games before calling for the trainer, saying he felt "dizzy" and "wanted to vomit".
From BBC • May 28, 2026
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
Carney said inside the building, he felt dizzy and nauseous.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
I was a little dizzy, but I heard Mr. Morales send Willy and Brenda to their rooms.
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
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.
