Link Centre Dictionary

giddy

UK/ˈɡɪd.i/ US/ˈɡɪd.i/ fairly common uk

adjective

1.

having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling

  • “had a dizzy spell”
  • “a dizzy pinnacle”
  • “had a headache and felt giddy”
  • “a giddy precipice”
  • “feeling woozy from the blow on his head”
  • “a vertiginous climb up the face of the cliff”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

lacking seriousness; given to frivolity

  • “a dizzy blonde”
  • “light-headed teenagers”
  • “silly giggles”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

The adjective is derived from Middle English gidi, gedy, gydy (“demonically controlled or possessed; crazy, insane; foolish, idiotic, ridiculous, unwise; unsure; (rare) dizzy, shaky; (rare) of an animal: crazed, out of control; a fool”) [and other forms], from Old English gidiġ, gydiġ (“possessed by a demon or spirit, insane, mad”), from Proto-West Germanic *gudīg (“ghostly, spirited”, literally “possessed by a god or spirit”), from *god (“god”) + *-ig, *-g (suffix forming adjectives with the senses of being, doing, or having). The English word is analysable as god + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’, forming adjectives). The noun and the verb are derived from the adjective.

Phrases

  • act the giddy goat
  • giddy as a windmill
  • giddy limit
  • giddy up
  • hitch in one's giddy-up
  • my giddy aunt
  • play the giddy goat
  • play the giddy ox

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.