loopy
Americanadjective
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full of loops.
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Slang.
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eccentric; crazy; dotty.
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befuddled or confused, especially due to intoxication.
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Scot. crafty; sly.
adjective
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full of loops; curly or twisted
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informal slightly mad, crazy, or stupid
Etymology
Origin of loopy
Explanation
Someone who's loopy is batty or nutty — in other words, not the picture of mental health. You might get so tired after staying up late to study for a test that you start to act goofy and giggly and a little bit loopy. Even if you are completely sane, you can still act loopy when you're embarrassed or tired or just being silly. You might love the circus because of the loopy music and the painted-on, loopy smiles of the clowns. Or maybe you're a fan of loopy comedies, films that feature characters with harebrained ideas that backfire in ridiculous ways. This informal meaning dates from the early 20th century — earlier, the word meant "deceitful."
Vocabulary lists containing loopy
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.
In his loopy 1957 essay on hipsters, Norman Mailer talked about the “psychic havoc” of living under the threat of nuclear annihilation.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026
And Enver Chakartash’s costumes are a riot of splashy patterns and extravagant colors, with Damis’s beribonned ensemble and lavender, fur-trimmed boots adding a note of loopy sartorial humor.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
Joe McCarthy was done for not releasing, the Brumbies went to touch and threw a monster, loopy pass right to left for Toole to get over, Smith unable to do anything about it.
From BBC • Jul. 9, 2025
“Here we have a hero working with his former enemies and there’s a completely loopy, nutty spin, making something for both kids and their parents.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2025
I normally wouldn’t condone that type of behavior in myself, but tomorrow would be complicated enough without me being loopy from sleep deprivation on top of everything else.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
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.
