giddy

(gĭd'ē)
adj., -di·er, -di·est.

1. 1. Having a reeling, lightheaded sensation; dizzy.
   2. Causing or capable of causing dizziness: a giddy climb to the topmast.
2. Frivolous and lighthearted; flighty.

intr. & tr.v., -died, -dy·ing, -dies.
To become or make giddy.

[Middle English gidi, crazy, from Old English gidig.]

giddily gid'di·ly adv.
giddiness gid'di·ness n.

SYNONYMS   giddy, dizzy, vertiginous. These adjectives mean producing a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall: a giddy precipice; a dizzy pinnacle; a vertiginous height.

WORD HISTORY   The word giddy refers to fairly lightweight experiences or situations, but at one time it had to do with profundities. Giddy can be traced back to the same Germanic root *gud- that has given us the word God. The Germanic word *gudigaz formed on this root meant "possessed by a god." Such possession can be a rather unbalancing experience, and so it is not surprising that the Old English descendant of *gudigaz, gidig, meant "mad, possessed by an evil spirit," or that the Middle English development of gidig, gidi, meant the same thing, as well as "foolish; mad (used of an animal); dizzy; uncertain, unstable." Our sense "lighthearted, frivolous" represents the ultimate secularization of giddy.

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adjective

1. Having a sensation of whirling or falling: dizzy, lightheaded, reeling, vertiginous, woozy. See awareness/unawareness.
2. Producing dizziness or vertigo: dizzy, dizzying, vertiginous. See awareness/unawareness.
3. Given to lighthearted silliness: empty-headed, featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, frothy, harebrained, lighthearted, scatterbrained, silly. Informal gaga. Slang birdbrained, dizzy. See ability/inability.

adj

Definition: silly, impulsive
Antonyms: calm, careful, level-headed, sensible, serious

For a list of words related to giddy, see:

• Happy, Playful, Optimistic, or Elated
• Foolish, Immature, Bigoted, or Trivial
• Drunkenness, Drunkards, and Alcoholism - giddy: (adj) somewhat inebriated

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See words rhyming with "giddy."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Giddy .

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - svimmel, ør, tummelumsk, svimlende, kåd
v. intr. - blive svimmel
v. tr. - gøre svimmel

Nederlands (Dutch)
duizelig, duizelingwekkend, onbezonnen, (mentaal) zeer opgewonden, (doen) duizelen

Français (French)
adj. - vertigineux, enivrant, écervelé, irréfléchi
v. intr. - devenir/rendre vertigineux/enivrant
v. tr. - devenir/rendre vertigineux/enivrant

Deutsch (German)
adj. - schwindelig, schwindelerregend, leichtfertig, übermütig
v. - schwindelig machen, schwindelig werden

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - (παρα)ζαλισμένος, ζαβλακωμένος, επιπόλαιος, άμυαλος, ελαφρύς, ιλιγγιών, ιλιγγιώδης
v. - προκαλώ/νιώθω ζαλάδα ή ίλιγγο

Italiano (Italian)
stordito

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - atordoado, tonto
v. - ficar com vertigem, provocar vertigem

Русский (Russian)
испытывающий головокружение, сумасшедший, глупый, головокружительный, ветреный, вертящийся

Español (Spanish)
adj. - mareado, vertiginoso
v. intr. - marearse
v. tr. - marear

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - vimmelkantig, svindlande, tanklös, vanvettig
v. - få (ge) svindel

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
眼花的, 头晕的, 晕眩, 使晕眩

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 眼花的, 頭暈的
v. intr. - 暈眩
v. tr. - 使暈眩

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 어지러운, 흥분한
v. intr. - 어지러워지다
v. tr. - 어지럽게 하다

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - めまいがする, めまいを起こさせる, うわついた, ばかばかしい
v. - 目をくらませる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) مصاب بدوار, مستهتر (فعل) يصيب بدوار‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מסוחרר, מסחרר, לא-רציני, קל-דעת, בליין‬
v. intr. - ‮סחרר‬
v. tr. - ‮הסתחרר‬

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