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Synonyms

craze

American  
[kreyz] / kreɪz /

verb (used with object)

crazed, crazing

  1. to derange or impair the mind of; make insane.

    He was crazed by jealousy.

  2. to make small cracks on the surface of (a ceramic glaze, paint, or the like); crackle.

  3. British Dialect. to crack.

  4. Archaic. to weaken; impair.

    to craze one's health.

  5. Obsolete. to break; shatter.

verb (used without object)

crazed, crazing

  1. to become insane; go mad.

  2. to become minutely cracked, as a ceramic glaze; crackle.

  3. Metallurgy.

    1. (of a case-hardened object) to develop reticulated surface markings; worm.

    2. (of an ingot) to develop an alligator skin as a result of being teemed into an old and worn mold.

  4. Archaic. to fall to pieces; break.

noun

  1. a popular or widespread fad, fashion, etc.; mania.

    the newest dance craze.
    Synonyms:
    mode, vogue

  2. insanity; an insane condition.

  3. a minute crack or pattern of cracks in the glaze of a ceramic object.

  4. Obsolete. flaw; defect.

craze British  
/ kreɪz /

noun

  1. a short-lived current fashion

  2. a wild or exaggerated enthusiasm

    a craze for chestnuts

  3. mental disturbance; insanity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to make or become mad

  2. ceramics metallurgy to develop or cause to develop a fine network of cracks

  3. archaic (tr) to break

  4. archaic (tr) to weaken

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

The craze has sparked long queues in shops worldwide.

From BBC

Now the decadent bar has inspired South Korea's latest dessert craze.

From BBC

I hollered, swinging out of the tree like a crazed squirrel and racing to her side.

From Literature

A “Marty Supreme” jacket may be a far more durable purchase than a bunch of simple robotics covered in cheap plastic and fur, but the craze is the same.

From Salon

Japan's Tamagotchi toys were a 1990s playground craze and the virtual pets that demand food and attention are still a hit among retro-loving Gen Z and nostalgic parents.

From Barron's

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.