flurry

[flur-ee, fluhr-ee]

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.

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

/ 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

verb

1. to confuse or bewilder or be confused or bewildered

Other Word Forms

• flurriedly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of flurry¹

1680–90, blend of flutter and hurry

Word History and Origins

Origin of flurry¹

C17: from obsolete flurr to scatter, perhaps formed on analogy with _hurry

Example Sentences

And the 1970s saw her publish a flurry of books aimed at helping readers navigate the minefields of romance, including Men and Super Men, Woman and Superwomen, and Work & Wedlock.

From BBC

Sometimes they observe a flurry of activity from the organoids before they die – similar to the increased heart rate and brain activity which has been observed in some humans at end-of-life.

From BBC

The ride app giant alleged that the firms had filed a flurry of “fraudulent claims” and colluded with an Encino-based doctor to inflate the cost of plaintiffs’ medical expenses.

From Los Angeles Times

But he noted that the flurry of strikes showed that the military and security services have now settled on the tactic as a "core campaign".

From BBC

No official reason was publicly provided when the leaders were summoned at short notice last week, prompting a flurry of speculation.

From BBC

Related Words

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