flurry

American  

[flur-ee, fluhr-ee] / ˈflɜr i, ˈflʌr i /

noun

plural

flurries

1. a light, brief shower of snow.

2. sudden commotion, excitement, or confusion; nervous hurry.

   There was a flurry of activity before the guests arrived.

   Synonyms:

   ado, fluster, fuss, to-do, stir, pother, upset

3. Stock Exchange.

   1. a brief rise or fall in prices.

   2. a brief, unusually heavy period of trading.

4. a sudden gust of wind.

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verb (used with object)

flurried, flurrying

1. to put (a person) into a flurry; confuse; fluster.

verb (used without object)

flurried, flurrying

1. (of snow) to fall or be blown in a flurry.

2. to move in an excited or agitated manner.

flurry British  

/ ˈflʌrɪ /

noun

1. a sudden commotion or burst of activity

2. a light gust of wind or rain or fall of snow

3. stock exchange a sudden brief increase in trading or fluctuation in stock prices

4. the death spasms of a harpooned whale

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verb

1. to confuse or bewilder or be confused or bewildered

Other Word Forms

• flurriedly adverb

Etymology

Origin of flurry

1680–90, blend of flutter and hurry

Example Sentences

The 37-year-old absorbed a flurry of punches that resulted in his head snapping back, causing his hairpiece to lift.

From BBC

Nighthand slammed down coins onto the table and they ran, in a flurry of griffin feathers and spilled wine, out of the back door into the street.

From Literature

U.S. natural gas for February delivery jumped in a last-minute flurry to settle at a more than three-year high.

From The Wall Street Journal

A seemingly endless flurry of disquieting geopolitical headlines continues to sap investors’ risk appetite.

From Barron's

Moving to an assigned-seating model similar to Southwest’s top competitors is among a flurry of moves to boost the airline’s fortunes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• furor
• outbreak
• spurt
• squall
• turmoil
• whirl
• whirlwind