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.
See Examples For:
Economists at the asset-management giant were expecting “spring strength, followed by summer softness” because of factors like the World Cup hiring spree.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
Leading the charge is the Defense Department, which unleashed a spree of deals securing equity in future gallium producer Atlantic Alumina and Canadian mining company Trilogy Metals.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The spending spree is running into higher costs, borrowing constraints and investor pushback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
Unusually for a big tech company, Meta's AI spending spree has seen its cash pile wind down, with free cash flow falling to $784 million from $8.5 billion a year earlier.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
If anything, Noah should have talked to her before he decided to go on a psycho GIF-creating spree.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
Spending Spree: Wall Street’s tolerance for AI investment might seem to have no limits, but Google parent Alphabet found one Wednesday: $200 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
For now, the mood is exuberant at Renate, a labyrinthine club with multiple DJs housed in a dimly-lit complex near the Spree river, a Berlin institution which recently celebrated its 18th birthday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
The aquarium, located just across the Spree River from the Berlin Cathedral in the heart of the city, was a genuine attraction for the German capital.
From Slate ● Dec. 19, 2022
In Berlin, activists have called for parts of the Spree river to be made swimmable.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 29, 2021
A few nights after the wall went up, Seidel found an unlit spot along the banks of the Spree.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
That doesn’t sound like a recipe for shopping sprees and splashy vacations, but so far that’s what plenty of Americans are doing, according to commentary from retailers and consumer companies across the spectrum.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
Buying sprees of outlets led to owners who became highly leveraged and less able to invest in programming, which put the squeeze on suppliers such as CBS News Radio.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
The men are part of a group of industry insiders who are alleged to have bankrolled spending sprees and luxury home stays by Alison-Madueke, 65.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026
Now, some companies say their hiring sprees went too far.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
When the military tribunal began on July 8, 1942, the prisoners changed into the new clothes that they purchased on their shopping sprees.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
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.
