giddy

[gid-ee]

See more synonyms for giddy on Thesaurus.com

adjective, gid·di·er, gid·di·est.

affected with vertigo; dizzy.
attended with or causing dizziness: a giddy climb.
frivolous and lighthearted; impulsive; flighty: a giddy young person.

verb (used with or without object), gid·died, gid·dy·ing.

to make or become giddy.

Origin of giddy

before 1000; Middle English gidy, Old English gidig mad (as variant of *gydig), derivative of god God, presumably orig. “possessed by a divine being”

Related formsgid·di·ly, adverbgid·di·ness, nounun·gid·dy, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. lightheaded, vertiginous. 3. unstable, volatile, fickle, inconstant, vacillating.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for giddiness

Contemporary Examples

At first, there is pure joy and giddiness, because, yes, that is exactly what pleasure tastes like.
David Mitchell’s ‘The Bone Clocks’ Is Fun But Mostly Empty Calories
William O’Connor
September 14, 2014
A giant, over-the-top mess of contradictions and giddiness and mistakes and something weirdly pure and divine.
How to Stomach a Hot Dog Eating Contest
Robert Silverman
July 5, 2014
That giddiness is a warm and fuzzy feeling, almost as good as being drunk but definitely not as good as being gay.
Rick Perry’s Stupid Comment on Booze and Sex(uality)
Sally Kohn
June 12, 2014
The collection was overtly rich but without the giddiness—and innocence—of youth.
Prada and Gucci Show Off Strong, Smart Sensuality at Milan Fall 2012 Fashion Shows
Robin Givhan
February 24, 2012
And then you go beyond the giddiness and step back and try and look at things and see, do they all add up, does it all work?
India's Muckraker-in-Chief
Nisid Hajari
January 29, 2011

Historical Examples

When their giddiness abated, there were blurring views again.
The Einstein See-Saw
Miles John Breuer
I remembered the girl, the balcony, and my flight ending in my giddiness and my fall.
Bardelys the Magnificent
Rafael Sabatini
He doesn't look as if he were subject to fits and giddiness.
Tales Of Hearsay
Joseph Conrad
When he got down into the street in the full blaze of noon-day, he had a touch of giddiness.
The Child of Pleasure
Gabriele D'Annunzio
She felt very weak and weary, but she experienced no giddiness.
The Green Rust
Edgar Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for giddiness

giddy

adjective -dier or -diest

affected with a reeling sensation and feeling as if about to fall; dizzy
causing or tending to cause vertigo
impulsive; scatterbrained
my giddy aunt an exclamation of surprise

verb -dies, -dying or -died

to make or become giddy

Derived Formsgiddily, adverbgiddiness, noun

Word Origin

Old English gydig mad, frenzied, possessed by God; related to God

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 giddiness

n.

late 13c., "thoughtless folly;" see giddy + -ness. Meaning "dizziness" is late 14c.

giddy

adj.

Old English gidig, variant of gydig "insane, mad, stupid, possessed (by a spirit)," probably from Proto-Germanic *gud-iga-, from *gudam "god" + *-ig "possessed." Meaning "having a confused, swimming sensation" is from 1560s. Meaning "elated" is from 1540s. Related: Giddily; giddiness.

giddy

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}giddy

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for giddiness

Contemporary Examples

At first, there is pure joy and giddiness, because, yes, that is exactly what pleasure tastes like.

A giant, over-the-top mess of contradictions and giddiness and mistakes and something weirdly pure and divine.

That giddiness is a warm and fuzzy feeling, almost as good as being drunk but definitely not as good as being gay.

The collection was overtly rich but without the giddiness—and innocence—of youth.

And then you go beyond the giddiness and step back and try and look at things and see, do they all add up, does it all work?

Historical Examples

When their giddiness abated, there were blurring views again.

I remembered the girl, the balcony, and my flight ending in my giddiness and my fall.

He doesn't look as if he were subject to fits and giddiness.

When he got down into the street in the full blaze of noon-day, he had a touch of giddiness.

She felt very weak and weary, but she experienced no giddiness.

giddy

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for giddiness

n.

giddy

adj.

Origin of giddy