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Giddy

//ˈɡɪd.i// adj, name, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective

1
Feeling a sense of spinning in the head, causing a perception of unsteadiness and being about to fall down; dizzy. predicative
"The man became giddy upon standing up so fast."
2
Causing or likely to cause dizziness or a feeling of unsteadiness. attributive
"They climbed to a giddy height."
3
Moving around something or spinning rapidly.
"To ſpoil Antiquities of hammerd ſteele, / And turn the giddy round of Fortunes vvheele."
4
Unable to concentrate or think seriously; easily excited; impulsive; also, lightheartedly silly; frivolous. broadly
"The Biſhop, and the Duke of Gloſters men, / Forbidden late to carry any VVeapon, / Haue fill'd their Pockets full of peeble ſtones; / And banding themſelues in contrary parts, / Doe pelt ſo faſt at one anothers Pate, / That many haue their giddy braynes knockt out: […]"
5
Unable to concentrate or think seriously; easily excited; impulsive; also, lightheartedly silly; frivolous.; Used as an intensifier. broadly, dated
"'E isn't one o' the reg'lar Line, nor 'e isn't one of the crew. / 'E's a kind of a giddy harumfrodite—soldier an' sailor too!"

Show 4 more definitions

6
Joyfully elated; overcome with excitement or happiness. broadly
"The boy was giddy when he opened his birthday presents."
7
Feeling great anger; furious, raging. British, broadly, dialectal
8
Of an animal, chiefly a sheep: affected by gid (“a disease caused by parasitic infestation of the brain by tapeworm larvae”), which may result in the animal turning around aimlessly. British, dialectal
9
Of a thing, especially a ship: unsteady, as if dizzy. figuratively, obsolete
"The giddy Ship ran round; the Tempeſt tore / Her Maſt, and over-board the Rudder bore."

Adjective

1
lacking seriousness; given to frivolity wordnet
2
having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling wordnet

Proper Noun

1
A surname.

Noun

1
Someone or something that is frivolous or impulsive. archaic
"But the giddy, the idle, and the frivolous part of the vvorld vvill inceſſantly purſue a phantom, and graſp a ſhadovv."
2
Synonym of gid (“a disease caused by parasitic infestation of the brain by tapeworm larvae”). British, archaic

Verb

1
To make (someone or something) dizzy or unsteady; to dizzy. archaic, transitive
"A nevv faſhion of apparrell creepeth no ſooner into vſe, but preſently he blameth and diſpraiſeth the olde, and that vvith ſo earneſt a reſolution, and vniverſall a conſent, that you vvould ſay, it is ſome kinde of madnes, or ſelfe-fond humor, that giddieth his vnderſtanding."
2
To become dizzy or unsteady. archaic, intransitive
"Giddied, he gave up a moment's purchase of ground."
3
To move around something or spin rapidly; to reel; to whirl. archaic, intransitive, obsolete
"[B]y chance, a sudden north-wind fetch'd, / With an extreme sea, quite about again / Our whole endeavours, and our course constrain / To giddy round, and with our bow'd sails greet / Dreadful Maleia, calling back our fleet / As far forth as Cythera."

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

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