dizzy
Americanadjective
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having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall; giddy; vertiginous.
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causing giddiness or confusion.
a dizzy height.
verb (used with object)
adjective
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affected with a whirling or reeling sensation; giddy
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mentally confused or bewildered
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causing or tending to cause vertigo or bewilderment
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informal foolish or flighty
verb
Other Word Forms
- dizzily adverb
- dizziness noun
Etymology
Origin of dizzy
First recorded before 900; Middle English dysy, Old English dysig “foolish”; cognate with Low German düsig “stupefied”
Explanation
When you're dizzy, you have a spinning or woozy sensation — you might even feel like you'l fall over. You'll probably feel dizzy for a while when you get off the whirling tea cup ride at the fair. Some people feel dizzy when they're up high, either on a ladder or at the top of a tall building or bridge. Others only get dizzy when they're coming down with the flu or after riding on the merry-go-round at the park. Another way to be dizzy is to be silly or frivolous: "I can't take him seriously, he's just so dizzy all the time." Dizzy comes from the Old English dysig, "foolish or stupid."
Vocabulary lists containing dizzy
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.
Symptoms can include a racing heartbeat; feeling faint, dizzy or light-headed; feeling very hot or very cold; sweating, trembling or shaking; feeling sick; chest and stomach pain; and struggling to breathe and shaking legs.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
And distributors, dizzy from years of surprises and disruption, are hankering for a universally appealing, tried-and-true marketing campaign, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
“Loss can break us. Loss leaves us dizzy with grief and with pain and with rage,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026
This summer's Club World Cup, held in the US, faced criticism because of the severe conditions, with Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez saying he felt "dizzy" while playing in "very dangerous" heat.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025
The confirmation made Coal feel a little dizzy.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
