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
George Dardess
I am light-headed from the altitude …—Tony Ortega
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
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
Stephen Holden
lightheadedness noun
or light-headedness
He experienced mild light-headedness when the palpitations first started … —Fred Morady et al.
Fred Morady et al.
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
People often describe feeling lightheaded or hungover. —Morayo Ogunbayo, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026 As an aside, another situation where runners sometimes feel lightheaded and collapse is at the end of long races. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025 Fetterman experienced a stroke during his campaign for the Senate in 2022, and was also hospitalized in 2023 for feeling lightheaded. —CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025 Drinking a glass of water before the appointment and steady fluids afterward can make a noticeable difference, especially for those who tend to feel lightheaded with needles. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Morayo Ogunbayo, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026 As an aside, another situation where runners sometimes feel lightheaded and collapse is at the end of long races. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 15 Dec. 2025 Fetterman experienced a stroke during his campaign for the Senate in 2022, and was also hospitalized in 2023 for feeling lightheaded. —CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025 Drinking a glass of water before the appointment and steady fluids afterward can make a noticeable difference, especially for those who tend to feel lightheaded with needles. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightheaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/lightheaded. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
