spree
noun
a lively frolic or outing.
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spree
1 American
[spree]
/ spri /
noun
-
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
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.
The Angels’ shoddy defense exacerbated the scoring spree.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
News of Meta executives reportedly considering a stock offering comes quickly after Google parent Alphabet outlined a plan to issue $80 billion in stock to fund its AI spending spree.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
SoftBank Group plans to invest at least $52 billion in French data centers, part of its global AI spending spree.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
However, out on the disputed reefs, Vietnam has gone on a dredging spree, using the same powerful cutter suction ships as China.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Then we went on an enormous shopping spree, unprecedented in my lifetime.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
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.
