frenzy

1 of 2

noun

fren·​zy ˈfren-zē How to pronounce frenzy (audio)
plural frenzies
1
a
: a temporary madness
in a rage amounting to a frenzy
b
: a violent mental or emotional agitation
… almost weeping in a frenzy of anxiety …Colleen McCullough
2
: intense usually wild and often disorderly compulsive or agitated activity
a shopping frenzy
… the mob chanted itself into a frenzyC. Carr

frenzy

2 of 2

verb

frenzied; frenzying

transitive verb

: to affect with frenzy

Examples of frenzy in a Sentence

Noun the buying frenzy just before Christmas in its frenzy to flee the danger, the crowd became uncontrollable, and a number of people were trampled to death Verb local football fans who were frenzied by the fact that their team was going to the Super Bowl
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The color name quickly ignited a social-media frenzy, while pre- and post-show coverage likewise covered what turned out to be among the night’s most high-profile style moments. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 At the time, Mercury’s belongings ignited a bidding frenzy, so prospective buyers might want to move quickly. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 The project comes at a time when demand remains strong for high-rise living in the Magic City, just slightly cooler than the buying frenzy the city endured during the pandemic. Rebecca San Juan, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 Hopes that the Federal Reserve is done raising interest rates and may soon start cutting them and a frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology have pushed seven stocks in particular to dizzying heights. Alex Veiga, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Data from Zillow shows that 1 in 5 home listings saw a price cut in January, and the typical home was on the market for 29 days — longer than during last year’s buying frenzy, but 19 days shorter than the average before the pandemic. Emily Pandise, NBC News, 25 Feb. 2024 As expected there was a frenzy for the India-Pakistan match on June 9 which was oversubscribed more than 200 times the allocation, according to the International Cricket Council. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Many of the Redditors who joined the frenzy late ended up with huge losses, but the incident drew attention to the power of both Reddit communities and individual investors. Clare Duffy, CNN, 26 Feb. 2024 These numbers underscore the exceptional performance of both companies amidst the AI frenzy. Joel Shulman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
As the crowd was clearing out afterward, the jubilation quickly turned to frenzy. Glenn E. Rice, Kansas City Star, 15 Feb. 2024 Advertisement The outcry over the Angels’ waiver frenzy last week was ridiculous. Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2023 Wall Street Journal Five Guys frenzy There are grand openings, and then there's the launch of Five Guys in South Korea. Alan Murray, Fortune, 30 June 2023 Long before the globetrotting tours, the tabloid headlines, the Beatlesque frenzy that’s driving desperate parents to spend $12,000 for concert tickets, Taylor Swift got a crucial career break in a Livonia parking lot. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 8 June 2023 The 10-piece band's high energy, coupled with the soulful vocals and electric performance of its frontman, known as Black Wolf, frenzied the audience, keeping them on their feet and wanting more. La Risa R. Lynch, Journal Sentinel, 1 June 2023 This has been a frenzied 72 hours for the Indianapolis Colts, a franchise that doesn’t do frenzy. The Indianapolis Star, 12 Jan. 2023 Allow us to breakdown why these tumblers, of all the Starbucks tumblers, seem to frenzy customers the most: First, each tumbler comes in one color but turns into another when exposed to cold liquids. Michelle Santiago Cortés, refinery29.com, 27 May 2020 Together, the percussion and brass became springboards for a buildup to frenzy. Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'frenzy.' 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

Noun

Middle English frenesie, franesie, frensy, fransy "insanity, delirium, fit of madness," borrowed from Anglo-French frenesie, frensye, borrowed from Medieval Latin phrenēsia, re-formation of Late Latin phrenēsis "inflammation of the brain, madness," derivative (by analogy with other Greek nouns in -ēsis with corresponding adjectives in -ētikos) of Latin phrenēticus "suffering from madness" — more at frenetic

Verb

derivative of frenzy entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1791, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frenzy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near frenzy

Cite this Entry

“Frenzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frenzy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

frenzy

noun
fren·​zy
ˈfren-zē
plural frenzies
: great and often wild or disorderly activity

Medical Definition

frenzy

noun
fren·​zy ˈfren-zē How to pronounce frenzy (audio)
plural frenzies
1
a
: a temporary madness
b
: a violent mental or emotional agitation
2
: intense usually wild and often disorderly compulsive or agitated activity
frenzied adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on frenzy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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