frenzy
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English, from Old French frenesie, from Latin phrenesis, from Ancient Greek *φρένησις (*phrénēsis), a later equivalent of φρενῖτις (phrenîtis, “inflammation of the brain”): see frantic and frenetic.
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
frenzy (countable and uncountable, plural frenzies)
- A state of wild activity or panic.
- She went into a cleaning frenzy to prepare for the unexpected guests.
- 1983, Richard Ellis, The Book of Sharks, Knopf, →ISBN, page 170:
- It is during these frenzies that sharks have been known to bite everything in sight, including other sharks engaged in the same activity.
- A violent agitation of the mind approaching madness; rage.
- (Can we date this quote by Addison and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)
- All else is towering frenzy and distraction.
- 1595-1596, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 5, scene 1:
- The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling.
- (Can we date this quote by Addison and provide title, author's full name, and other details?)
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
state of wild activity or panic
|
|
Adjective[edit]
frenzy (comparative more frenzy, superlative most frenzy)
- (obsolete) Mad; frantic.
- 1678 John Bunyan The Pilgrim's Progress:
- They thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head.
- 1678 John Bunyan The Pilgrim's Progress:
Verb[edit]
frenzy (third-person singular simple present frenzies, present participle frenzying, simple past and past participle frenzied)
- (uncommon) To render frantic.
- (rare) To exhibit a frenzy, such as a feeding frenzy.
-
- The fresh smell of salt air, the sound of the crashing swell, the soothing immersion in the water, the sight of dolphins playing and fish frenzying beneath my board.
-
Further reading[edit]
- frenzy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- frenzy in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- frenzy at OneLook Dictionary Search
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English adjectives
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English verbs
- English terms with uncommon senses
- English terms with rare senses
- en:Anger
