frenzy

American  

[fren-zee] / ˈfrɛn zi /

noun

plural

frenzies

1. a state of extreme mental agitation or wild excitement.

   There's something big businesses love about working their customers into a frenzy of anticipation.

   Antonyms:

   calm

2. a burst of agitated, energetic action or activity.

   Athens in the late 1960s was in the midst of a building frenzy.

3. a fit or spell of mental derangement; a paroxysm characteristic of or resulting from a mania.

   He is subject to these frenzies several times a year.

   Synonyms:

   raving, fury, rage, aberration, lunacy, insanity, madness

   Antonyms:

   sanity

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verb (used with object)

frenzied, frenzying

1. to drive into a frenzy; make frantic.

   She was frenzied by fear when she smelled the smoke.

frenzy British  

/ ˈfrɛnzɪ /

noun

1. violent mental derangement

2. wild excitement or agitation; distraction

3. a bout of wild or agitated activity

   a frenzy of preparations

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verb

1. (tr) to make frantic; drive into a frenzy

Other Word Forms

• frenzily adverb

Etymology

Origin of frenzy

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English frenesie, from Old French, from Late Latin phrenēsis, from Late Greek, for Greek phrenîtis; phrenitis

Example Sentences

February was one of the strongest months for retail buying since the meme stock frenzy of 2021, according to a report from Citadel Securities, and the fifth-biggest month on record.

From The Wall Street Journal

A frenzy of mergers has since thinned the ranks of private operators, leaving most of U.S. crude production in the hands of disciplined, slow-moving public players.

From The Wall Street Journal

There was a brief period in July 2025 when the stock took part in the “meme stock” frenzy.

From MarketWatch

There was a brief period in July 2025 when the stock took part in the “meme stock” frenzy.

From MarketWatch

The AI frenzy has also driven a new wave of listings, spanning companies involved in large language models, robotics and biotechnology.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• burst
• craze
• excitement
• fever
• free-for-all
• furor
• fury
• hysteria
• madness
• mania
• outburst
• passion
• rage
• turmoil