lightheaded

adjective

light·​head·​ed ˈlīt-ˌhe-dəd 

variants or light-headed

1

: experiencing a feeling that one might faint often along with a sensation of dizziness

Unaccustomed to the heat … and the farmer's failure to provide drinking water, I got lightheaded.

—George Dardess

I am light-headed from the altitude …

—Tony Ortega

2

: lacking in maturity or seriousness : frivolous

The theories are light-headed enough, but they at least indicate some connection with twentieth-century experience.

—Louis Menand

lightheadedly adverb

or light-headedly

… when the moral of the story is stated one last time, the tone veers jarringly from solemn to lightheadedly saccharine.

—Stephen Holden

lightheadedness noun

or light-headedness

He experienced mild light-headedness when the palpitations first started …

—Fred Morady et al.

Synonyms

• aswoon
• dizzy
• giddy
• reeling
• swimmy
• vertiginous
• whirling
• woozy

Examples of lightheaded in a Sentence

I always get light-headed after riding roller coasters, even when I'm standing still again

we couldn't concentrate on our work because we were feeling so light-headed

Recent Examples on the Web

After just a few sips, Graves began to feel lightheaded and dizzy, allegedly from a drug that was put in the drink, the complaint claims. —Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 25 Sep. 2024

Lyles came off the track on a wheelchair at the Stade de France and felt lightheaded and short of breath. —Sean Gregory / Saint Denis, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024

At the 2015 world championships in Kazan, Russia, Katie Ledecky started feeling a little weird after dinner one night—hot and lightheaded. —Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 29 July 2024

In no time, you’ll be drenched from head to toe and dangerously lightheaded—the classic runner’s high! —Graeme Carey, The New Yorker, 10 July 2024

Even after the acute illness had passed, many symptoms remained: Dara struggled to sit up for more than half an hour, was too breathless and lightheaded to walk even short distances, and had severe brain fog that left her unable to hold a conversation or write an email. —Katie Bach, ludmila N. Praslova, beth Pollack, Harvard Business Review, 7 May 2024

Common signs include a dry, sticky mouth, decreased urination or dark colored urine, unexplained tiredness, and feeling dizzy or lightheaded. —Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter, Hartford Courant, 3 July 2024

If feeling lightheaded or dizzy, simply stop and rest. —Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 22 June 2024

Teo’s heart clenched, the sudden gesture leaving him lightheaded. —Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

light-headed

adjective

light-head·​ed

-ˈhed-əd

1

: feeling confused or dizzy

2

: not showing maturity or seriousness : frivolous

light-headedness noun