stampede
Americannoun
-
stampedes
plural
-
a sudden, frenzied rush or headlong flight of a herd of frightened animals, especially cattle or horses.
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any headlong general flight or rush.
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Western U.S., Canada. a celebration, usually held annually, combining a rodeo, contests, exhibitions, dancing, etc.
verb (used without object)
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stampedes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
stampeded,
past participle, past
-
stampeding
present participle
-
to scatter or flee in a stampede.
People stampeded from the burning theater.
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to make a general rush.
On hearing of the sale, they stampeded to the store.
verb (used with object)
-
stampedes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
stampeded,
past participle, past
-
stampeding
present participle
-
to cause to stampede.
-
to rush or overrun (a place).
Customers stampeded the stores.
noun
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an impulsive headlong rush of startled cattle or horses
-
headlong rush of a crowd
a stampede of shoppers
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any sudden large-scale movement or other action, such as a rush of people to support a candidate
-
a rodeo event featuring fairground and social elements
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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stampedesimple
-
stampedessimple
-
have stampededperfect
-
has stampededperfect
-
am stampedingprogressive
-
are stampedingprogressive
-
is stampedingprogressive
-
have been stampedingperfect progressive
-
has been stampedingperfect progressive
Past
-
stampededsimple
-
had stampededperfect
-
was stampedingprogressive
-
were stampedingprogressive
-
had been stampedingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stampede
An Americanism first recorded in 1815–25; from Spanish estampida, equivalent to estamp(ar) “to stamp” + -ida noun suffix
Explanation
Do you see hundreds of cattle thundering toward you? Then stop reading and get out of there! A stampede is coming. Stampede is a word for animal behavior that fits people sometimes too. During the holidays, desperate parents might stampede the mall, especially the toy stores. Fans of a popular movie might stampede to get tickets. A stampede of teen girls can usually be found chasing the latest boy bands. Stampede can be a noun or a verb, but either way, look out!
Vocabulary lists containing stampede
Bud, Not Buddy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Home of the Brave
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Stargirl
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
In the frenzied stampede, his flimsy wooden coffin broke and his white shrouded body tumbled into the crowds.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Eventually, a law enforcement officer dressed in what looked like a leadership uniform came forward to beg crowds not to stampede the entrances.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
In the biography “Mick Jagger,” author Philip Norman described it as “a veritable stampede to the altar.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Then, right behind them, a stampede of men in UFC T-shirts: the Running of the Bros.
From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026
Rumbling sounded from the palace behind us, and stone and water exploded outward as the stampede of bosslings burst into the sunlight.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
The stampedes have been so intense that a number have been forced to institute caps on daily withdrawals.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026
Deadly stampedes and crowd crushes are a common occurrence at big Indian gatherings and religious festivals.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2025
The deafening roar of the aircraft startled nearby livestock, sending cattle into panicked stampedes.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2025
Kendall decides Shiv should handle Matsson, who stampedes through the crowd and catches Tom off guard.
From Salon ● May 8, 2023
Hale toiled day and night for a pittance; he rode through storms—hail, lightning, sand—and survived stampedes, guiding the cattle into smaller and smaller circles before they could trample him.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Consumers have stampeded toward protein, and food-industry giants are chasing them with new product innovations.
From MarketWatch ● May 5, 2026
Attendees stampeded, pushing and shoving and yelling as if there were one cake, not 1,000.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 29, 2025
“Zootopia 2” has already stampeded past $1 billion to surpass its predecessor, and the awards nominations have just begun slithering in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
AI stampeded into America’s collective consciousness over the last year with reports that a science fiction-worthy new tool was landing job interviews, writing publication-worthy books and acing the bar exam.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 24, 2023
Clattering and yelling, the horde of moving statues stampeded past Harry: some of them smaller, others larger, than life.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
According to Ms. Smith, the LP’s title evoked “the stampeding current of the world, the pitfalls and possibilities of youth.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
Life-sized animal puppets that have been stampeding through cities across Africa will make their way to London next month.
From BBC ● May 21, 2025
The thud snapped Seattle’s streak of six consecutive series wins, as the Mariners dropped three of four to a stampeding Twins team that has won 15 of their last 17 games.
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024
Beauty-store barbarian Sephora tweens stampeding through skin-care aisles and slathering their baby faces in retinol?
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 22, 2024
He tried to keep his eyes open, but the sting of the salt and the speed meant that he saw only the other nereids around him, charging like stampeding buffalo.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
