craze
Americanverb (used with object)
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crazes,
present (3rd person singular)
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crazed,
past participle, past
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crazing
present participle
-
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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crazes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crazed,
past participle, past
-
crazing
present participle
-
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.
-
-
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
-
had crazedperfect
-
was crazingprogressive
-
were crazingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
The meme-stock craze might have faded as many of the era’s favorite stocks eventually lost their luster.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
At a Tokyo gelato shop, ube importer JP Mercado told AFP the Japanese market was expanding rapidly after the craze first hit neighbouring South Korea.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
The startup Pickle on Thursday joined the agent craze with a “personal AI you raise,” a concept popularized by Tamagotchis in the 1990s.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
In the wake of the “Obsession” craze, however, Navarrette has reveled in seeing Latinos embrace her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
In 1937 they opened a drive-in restaurant in Pasadena, trying to cash in on the new craze, hiring three carhops and selling mainly hot dogs.
From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser
The inflatables are a flashback to the late '80s when what began as a light-hearted joke soon turned into one of the most memorable fan crazes in English football.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The fallibility of dietary advice is evident in the variability of regimens, fads and crazes that have been promulgated over the years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Like many other internet-fueled food crazes, Cane’s enthusiasm often spills offline in surprisingly tangible ways.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
Thanks to social media and modern health crazes, hydration is no longer about just drinking water — and that has kicked off a corporate rush to develop and market more sophisticated drinks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
The waves of recurring crime, the silly fads and crazes, the quicksilver changes in public taste, the hysteria and fears—all of these had long been mysteries to me.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
Channeling the music like a crazed shaman, Jagger shimmied and sashayed, owning the stage like few lead singers have before or since.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
He wasn’t a crazed football fan or a flighty 30-something bachelor, but an outdoorsman who loved mountain biking away from the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 1, 2026
“It was quite a display of abuse and anger, for all to see, crazed and out of control. The ICE Officer was calm and cool, not an easy thing to be under those circumstances!”
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2026
It brought people who saw the hordes of crazed support as a money faucet—an opportunity to turn Tesla allegiance into a financial gold mine.
From Slate ● Sep. 26, 2025
Besa looked at her as if she were crazed.
From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper
But the Bureau of Land Management still moved to protect them with new rules that would limit mining, development and cattle crazing — all of which represent lucrative revenue for industries and the states.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 14, 2015
As bad as we’ve played, people might think I’m crazing for saying we don’t believe we’re out of it.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 27, 2011
Too thick a finish will cause cooling, crazing and cracking.
From Time Magazine Archive
While unsuspended wheels the village dance, The maidens eye him with enquiring glance, Much wondering by what fit of crazing care, Or desperate love, bewildered, he came there.
From The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 1 by William Knight
The news he made a messmate tell: His Angelina bore it well, No sign gave she of crazing; But, steady as the Inchcape rock His Angelina stood the shock With fortitude amazing.
From Bab Ballads and Savoy Songs by Sir W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert
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