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 High Desert Art Fair offers a distinctly different art fair experience a month after the flurry of Los Angeles fairs in February.

From Los Angeles Times

Zara, Nate, and I are at the foot of the dock, watching the flurry of people struggle to carry their cardboard boats down the beach to the water’s edge, getting ready for the regatta.

From Literature

Mattel announced another round of layoffs targeting dozens of employees, the latest in a flurry of cost-cutting moves made by the company in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times

In the flurries of media interviews that come with life as an astronaut, he acknowledged the deep responsibility he felt toward the next generations of Black astronauts he hoped to inspire.

From Los Angeles Times

In Tokyo, the flowers reached full bloom during the weekend, entering a brief period of stunning beauty, before the petals will fall like flurries of snow.

From Barron's

Related Words

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