craze
Americanverb (used with object)
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to derange or impair the mind of; make insane.
He was crazed by jealousy.
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to make small cracks on the surface of (a ceramic glaze, paint, or the like); crackle.
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British Dialect. to crack.
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Archaic. to weaken; impair.
to craze one's health.
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Obsolete. to break; shatter.
verb (used without object)
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to become insane; go mad.
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to become minutely cracked, as a ceramic glaze; crackle.
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Metallurgy.
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(of a case-hardened object) to develop reticulated surface markings; worm.
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(of an ingot) to develop an alligator skin as a result of being teemed into an old and worn mold.
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Archaic. to fall to pieces; break.
noun
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a short-lived current fashion
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a wild or exaggerated enthusiasm
a craze for chestnuts
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mental disturbance; insanity
verb
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to make or become mad
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ceramics metallurgy to develop or cause to develop a fine network of cracks
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archaic (tr) to break
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archaic (tr) to weaken
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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crazesimple
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crazessimple
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have crazedperfect
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has crazedperfect
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am crazingprogressive
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are crazingprogressive
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is crazingprogressive
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have been crazingperfect progressive
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has been crazingperfect progressive
Past
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crazedsimple
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had crazedperfect
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was crazingprogressive
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were crazingprogressive
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had been crazingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of craze
1325–75; Middle English crasen to crush < Scandinavian; compare Swedish, Norwegian krasa to shatter, crush
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Appeared in the October 9, 2025, print edition as 'The Craze Dividing Body Care: Trying to Smell Like a Doughnut'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025
The California Lottery announced that a man apparently had won $1 million playing a Multiplier Craze Scratchers ticket sold last week at its CA Lottery LIVE! booth at the annual Costa Mesa event.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2024
It happened with the popular Rockland Palace balls in Harlem in the 1920s, and the ensuing nationwide Pansy Craze of the ’30s, surges of raucous drag parties and queer life.
From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2022
East Sussex coroner Alan Craze described Mr McNamara's death as "a complete tragedy".
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2021
"Smith's Craze," as I have said, closes in the view to our right.
From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 15, No. 88, April, 1875 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
