lightheaded
Americanadjective
-
giddy, dizzy, or delirious.
After two drinks Pat began to feel lightheaded.
-
having or showing a frivolous or volatile disposition; thoughtless.
lightheaded persons.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lightheaded
Explanation
If you're lightheaded, you're dizzy and faint, and you might need to sit down for a minute. The sight of enormous spiders makes some people feel lightheaded. Standing up quickly can make you lightheaded, and you can also make yourself lightheaded by forgetting to eat lunch or blowing up a huge balloon with one breath. Being lightheaded, while usually not a serious condition, is typically caused by a temporary shortage of oxygen or blood getting to the brain. The word dates from the sixteenth century.
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.
Sometimes the baths are so hot and I’m in them for such a long time, I do get lightheaded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
This was why I’d been feeling so lightheaded, and it was the cause of my hoarseness.
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026
Certainly not lightheaded, or with his empty belly growling from hunger.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2025
Symptoms can include: chest pain; tightness or pain in the arms, neck, jaw, back or stomach; feeling dizzy or lightheaded; feeling tired or out of breath; nausea, and feeling sweaty or clammy.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2024
Minli won-dered if flying had somehow made him lightheaded.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
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.
