dizzy

[diz-ee]

adjective

dizzier, dizziest 

1. having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall; giddy; vertiginous.

2. bewildered; confused.

3. causing giddiness or confusion.

   a dizzy height.

4. heedless; thoughtless.

5. Informal.,  foolish; silly.

verb (used with object)

dizzied, dizzying 

1. to make dizzy.

dizzy

/ ˈdɪzɪ /

adjective

1. affected with a whirling or reeling sensation; giddy

2. mentally confused or bewildered

3. causing or tending to cause vertigo or bewilderment

4. informal,  foolish or flighty

verb

1. (tr) to make dizzy

Other Word Forms

• dizzily adverb
• dizziness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dizzy¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English dysy, Old English dysig “foolish”; cognate with Low German düsig “stupefied”

Word History and Origins

Origin of dizzy¹

Old English dysig silly; related to Old High German tusīg weak, Old Norse dos quiet

Example Sentences

He drove her to his waterside villa in Zhupingsha village, near the Chinese city of Dongguan, where he gave her a whisky cocktail that left her so dizzy that she says she could barely move.

From BBC

As the story careens through airports and post offices and New York’s hidey-holes, the cat-and-mouse chase is dizzyingly enjoyable, worthy of a Thomas Perry novel.

From Los Angeles Times

Another, who had a high-risk pregnancy, said she was often forced to steady herself against a wall when she felt dizzy.

From Los Angeles Times

I felt dizzy from the visceral ringing in my ears as all I heard over and over was “no.”

From Los Angeles Times

The dizzying speed of events can distort our judgment as to their true significance.

From BBC

Related Words

• dazed 
• distracted 
• dumb 
• giddy 
• groggy 
• shaky 
• wobbly 
• woozy