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

By the next day, he had chest pain, was dizzy and nearly passed out.

From Los Angeles Times

The pressing relevance of the artist’s work for our present fraught era is irrefutable — not least when the dizzying transformation from analog to digital culture is harnessed to productive ends.

From Los Angeles Times

But Summer 2025 vanished in a blur of dizzying heat and disruptive porch repairs.

From Salon

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

Related Words

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