spaz

American  

[spaz] / spæz /

Or spazz

noun

1. an awkward or clumsy person.

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verb (used without object)

spazzed, spazzing

1. to move in an awkward or clumsy way (usually followed byout ).

   She spazzed out and we had broken glass all over the floor.

2. to become more angry than a situation warrants (usually followed byout ).

   Mom spazzed out when she smelled cigarette smoke on my clothes.

3. to twitch.

   He was spazzing and muttering to himself, like the old speed freak he is.

Sensitive Note

See spastic.

Etymology

Origin of spaz

First recorded in 1960–65; shortening and alteration of spastic

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spaz spazzed spazzing

The song "Heated," co-written by Beyoncé and Drake, among others, included a lyric with the word "spaz," an outdated word many find harmful.

From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2022

“I am kind of a crazy spaz, and he would always tell me, ‘You need to calm down, keep it simple.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 22, 2021

Give yourself permission to be shy, nervous, and maybe a little bit of a spaz.

From Slate ● Jun. 4, 2019

As a boy, I was a goofball, a class clown, and a spaz.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 21, 2019

Kimberly, maybe, if tonight hasn't made her think I'm a total spaz loser and scared her away.

From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon

I flailed and jerked and basically spazzed out.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

A few seconds later, Charles's phone spazzed out spectacularly.

From Little Brother by Doctorow, Cory

Bosa said the scheme “messes with offenses” because of all the deceit and, in his ideal world, could result in “the tackle spazzing out” and allowing him a free run at the quarterback.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2021

A wave of noise opens the album, synthesizers spazzing out in “On Sight” as West rises, “a monster about to come alive again.”

From Chicago Tribune ● Jun. 16, 2013

I found it hard to believe she didn’t know my last name after I was the YouTube sensation of freshman year, spazzing out in the middle of the gym floor at the pep rally.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

I wish I would’ve thought of this when Chris was standing there spazzing on me.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds

Becca was off, spazzing around her room, pointing out different star clusters and planets, explaining why we can't see all of them where we live, straight up nerding out, and I was into it.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds