spree
noun
a lively frolic or outing.
spree
1 American
[spree]
/ spri /
noun
sprees
plural
-
a lively frolic or outing.
-
a bout or spell of drinking to intoxication; binge; carousal.
-
a period, spell, or bout of indulgence, as of a particular wish, craving, or whim.
an eating spree; a spending spree.
-
a period or outburst of extreme activity.
the team’s scoring spree;
no motive for his killing spree.
Spree
2
American
[shpr ey]
/ ʃpreɪ /
noun
spree
British
/ spriː /
noun
-
a session of considerable overindulgence, esp in drinking, squandering money, etc
-
a romp
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of spree
First recorded in 1795–1805; origin uncertain
Explanation
If you go on a spree, you go a little wild, indulging in some activity in an unrestrained way. You might go on a cupcake spree every year on your birthday, eating as many cupcakes as you can. Following your impulses and giving in to them — rather than resisting or limiting them — is one way to go on a spree. It can be a dancing spree, in which you dance all night long, or a shopping spree, in which you max out your credit card at the mall. The original slang meaning, and one that's still used today, is "a drinking bout," and it may be rooted in the French word esprit, "lively wit."
Vocabulary lists containing spree
St. Patrick's Day Vocabulary: Words With Irish and Gaelic Roots
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English Words Derived from Gaelic
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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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.
Nottingham Forest do not plan another near-£200m spending spree like last season but are looking to add.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
RBC Capital Markets analyst Rishi Jaluria told MarketWatch last week that Salesforce will have a “lot to integrate” following its M&A spree.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 22, 2026
This skepticism comes despite MicroStrategy aggressively issuing more than $10 billion of the stock in less than a year, a spree that forced it to hike the coupon seven times to a hefty 11.5%.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
Critics of the all-stock acquisition called it a hype-fueled shopping spree, devoid of market fundamentals.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
Ruth May is surprisingly stubborn for a child of five and unwilling to miss out on any kind of a spree.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
