stampede
Americannoun
-
stampedes
plural
-
a sudden, frenzied rush or headlong flight of a herd of frightened animals, especially cattle or horses.
-
any headlong general flight or rush.
-
Western U.S., Canada. a celebration, usually held annually, combining a rodeo, contests, exhibitions, dancing, etc.
verb (used without object)
-
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.
-
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
-
an impulsive headlong rush of startled cattle or horses
-
headlong rush of a crowd
a stampede of shoppers
-
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
-
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
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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:
On one hand, it’s nice to see young Brian scamper up to his bedroom to crack open an encyclopedia or hear a herd of theropods stampede on the roof of an all-metal car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
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
The stampede of fetterlings crashed against the base of the palace, and then the time for words was over.
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
Human nature hasn’t changed enough since then to shield masses of people from being seduced and intimidated into servility and herd-like stampedes.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2025
Anger stampedes through me, hot and lively, and the muffled feeling around my ears falls away, making even this quiet Abnegation street sound loud.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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
The young policeman on duty took fright and left as we stampeded through the door.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Viral images of 72,000 migrants stampeding into Ceuta looked like a security collapse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Even the adults are too absorbed by their screens to notice a herd of dolls stampeding through a house.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
Smith had taken a bang to the head a few minutes before, bravely throwing himself into the path of a stampeding Nathan Jibulu.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 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
She ignored Polybotes, who was now stampeding around her, trying to swat Jason out of his whirlwind.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
