dizzying

[diz-ee-ing]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dizzying ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

making or tending to make one dizzy: The tower rose to dizzying heights.

Origin of dizzying

First recorded in 1795–1805; dizzy + -ing²

Related formsdiz·zy·ing·ly, adverb

dizzy

[diz-ee]

adjective, diz·zi·er, diz·zi·est.

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

bewildered; confused.

causing giddiness or confusion: a dizzy height.

heedless; thoughtless.

Informal. foolish; silly.

verb (used with object), diz·zied, diz·zy·ing.

to make dizzy.

Origin of dizzy

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

Related formsdiz·zi·ly, adverbdiz·zi·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for dizzying

rapid, dizzy, bewildering, flying, faint, confused, fast, fleet, swimming, fainting, lightheaded, quick, shaky, speedy, swift, unsteady, vertiginous, woozy

Examples from the Web for dizzying

Contemporary Examples of dizzying

Despite a dizzying number of women coming forward against her husband, Camille Cosby refuses to sharpen her blade of vengeance.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?
Amanda Marcotte
December 17, 2014
In between, The Dude is sometimes helped, but mostly hindered, by a dizzying array of quirky characters.
Dudes and Maudes Abide at New York City Lebowski Fest
Rich Goldstein
August 25, 2014
It was a dizzying time, and Shaquille handled an array of new situations with conspicuous aplomb.
Shaq, Year One
Charles P. Pierce
May 24, 2014
Francis is, of course, the recipient of a dizzying number of invitations.
Obama Goes to Rome Hoping to Tap Some of Pope Francis’ Popularity
Barbie Latza Nadeau
March 26, 2014
The drug- and alcohol-fueled excesses build to a dizzying climax that leaves you reeling.
The Movie ‘Filth’ Is Fun!
Nico Hines
October 1, 2013

Historical Examples of dizzying

A whirlpool caught the wreck, and there it eddied in dizzying circles.
The Young Mountaineers
Charles Egbert Craddock
The waves were lifting and dropping them in dizzying fashion.
Blow The Man Down
Holman Day
Something suddenly ceased, leaving them in dizzying uncertainty.
A Son Of The Sun
Jack London
And then they were in a lift that dropped into the depths of its shaft with dizzying speed.
The Copper-Clad World
Harl Vincent
Don Rafaele would have been concerned for a bird in such a dizzying situation.
Hildebrand
Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for dizzying

dizzy

adjective -zier or -ziest

affected with a whirling or reeling sensation; giddy

mentally confused or bewildered

causing or tending to cause vertigo or bewilderment

informal foolish or flighty

verb -zies, -zying or -zied

(tr) to make dizzy

Derived Formsdizzily, adverbdizziness, noun

Word Origin for dizzy

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dizzying

dizzy

adj.

Old English dysig "foolish, stupid," from Proto-Germanic *dusijaz (cf. Low German düsig "dizzy," Dutch duizelen "to be dizzy," Old High German dusig "foolish," German Tor "fool," Old English dwæs, Dutch dwaas "foolish"), perhaps from PIE *dheu- (1) "dust, vapor, smoke; to rise in a cloud" (and related notions of "defective perception or wits").

Meaning "having a whirling sensation" is from mid-14c.; that of "giddy" is from c.1500 and seems to merge the two earlier meanings. Used of the "foolish virgins" in early translations of Matthew xxv; used especially of blondes since 1870s. Related: Dizzily.

dizzy

Old English dysigan, from source of dizzy (adj.). Related: Dizzied; dizzying.