doozy

noun

doo·​zy ˈdü-zē How to pronounce doozy (audio)
variants or doozie or less commonly doozer
plural doozies also doozers
: an extraordinary one of its kind
a real doozy of a snowstorm

Did you know?

While it's often maintained that the word doozy derives from the "Duesenberg" in the name of the famed Duesenberg Motor Company, this is impossible on chronological grounds. Doozy was first recorded (in the form dozy) in eastern Ohio in 1916, four years before the Duesenberg Motor Company began to manufacture passenger cars; the related adjective doozy, meaning "stylish" or "splendid," is attested considerably earlier, in 1903. So where did doozy come from? Etymologists believe that it's an altered form of the word daisy, which was used especially in the late 1800s as a slang term for someone or something considered the best.

Examples of doozy in a Sentence

They say the snowstorm tonight is going to be a doozy. Watch out for that first step. It's a doozy. Some of her comments have been real doozies. a doozy of a year
Recent Examples on the Web In fact, high interest rates, rising prices and a shortage of inventory made 2023 a doozy of a year for homebuyers, especially first-time homebuyers who looked for deals but came up short. Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Feb. 2024 Kassandra Castillo | Credit: Sara Mally/PEACOCK Kassandra Castillo ended up with her Day 1 boo, Leo, in the finale — but the journey in between Love Island USA season 5's first and last episodes was a doozy. Alamin Yohannes, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023 The terrorism-sponsoring regime will reportedly gain access, all told, to $15.5 billion — a doozy of a number. Kayla Bartsch, National Review, 21 Sep. 2023 The final two episodes of Season 2 saw Lexi (Maude Apatow) put on a doozy of a school play exposing some her family and friends’ darkest secrets and insecurities. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 Sure, Special Counsel Jack Smith dropped a doozy on Tuesday, indicting former president Donald Trump for attacking the very heart of our Republic – conspiring to overturn the results of a democratic election. BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2023 Dive into those shallow wallets held together by duct tape because baby, these picks are a real doozy. Maria Sherman, SPIN, 25 Apr. 2023 The middle schooler is used to things not going his way, but a class field trip to the Met in New York City is a doozy. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 14 Dec. 2023 The Southern California Regional Open Division girls volleyball playoffs started with a doozy of a match Wednesday night. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doozy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

perhaps alteration of daisy

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of doozy was in 1916

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near doozy

Cite this Entry

“Doozy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doozy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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