giddiness

[gid-ee-nis]

noun

1. unrestrained high spirits.

   In a moment of uncharacteristic giddiness, the groom spun his bride around in joyous circles.

2. dizziness or lightheadedness; vertigo.

   Besides general effects such as nausea, giddiness, or an inability to focus, the excessive vibration of industrial tools can also damage nerves and blood vessels.

3. frivolous lightheartedness; silliness or lack of seriousness.

   I'm not prone to escapism, giddiness, or saccharine sentimentality.

Word History and Origins

Origin of giddiness¹

giddy ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache, a meeting to rush to in Santa Monica, and a giddiness I hadn’t felt since well before the new year.

From Los Angeles Times

The revival, directed by Anna D. Shapiro, proceeds with propulsive giddiness.

From Los Angeles Times

I feel giddiness before and I’m sad when I’m done, especially when it’s so short.

From New York Times

The pair are sitting side by side in the Corinthia Hotel the day after the show’s London premiere, and their giddiness about the series is palpable.

From Los Angeles Times

The real magic, however, is the giddiness sparkling around Terence Mann who starts as a lost soul and ends the film believing in magic again, simply by touching the edge of a cornfield.

From Salon