frenzy

1 of 2

noun

fren·​zy ˈfren-zē 

plural frenzies

1

a

: a temporary madness

in a rage amounting to a frenzy

b

: a violent mental or emotional agitation

… almost weeping in a frenzy of anxiety …

—Colleen McCullough

2

: intense usually wild and often disorderly compulsive or agitated activity

a shopping frenzy

… the mob chanted itself into a frenzy …

—C. Carr

frenzy

2 of 2

verb

frenzied; frenzying

transitive verb

: to affect with frenzy

Synonyms of frenzy

Noun

• rampage
• rage
• fury
• hysteria

Verb

• craze
• bother
• distract
• disturb
• upset
• unbalance
• confuse
• derange

Examples of frenzy in a Sentence

Noun

the buying frenzy just before Christmas

in its frenzy to flee the danger, the crowd became uncontrollable, and a number of people were trampled to death

Verb

local football fans who were frenzied by the fact that their team was going to the Super Bowl

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Shutters bang, screen doors slam; the wind whips them all into a frenzy. — Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026

In Obsession’s most horrifying sequence, the audience senses something awful is about to unfold several beats before the frenzy of blunt-force head trauma actually takes place on screen. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

At the same time, stocks of computer chip companies and other winners from the frenzy to build AI data centers have come under pressure on concerns that high interest rates may slow the further build out of data centers. — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

That could create another free-agent frenzy ahead of the expiration. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English frenesie, franesie, frensy, fransy "insanity, delirium, fit of madness," borrowed from Anglo-French frenesie, frensye, borrowed from Medieval Latin phrenēsia, re-formation of Late Latin phrenēsis "inflammation of the brain, madness," derivative (by analogy with other Greek nouns in -ēsis with corresponding adjectives in -ētikos) of Latin phrenēticus "suffering from madness" — more at frenetic

Verb

derivative of frenzy entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1791, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing frenzy

• feeding frenzy

Kids Definition

frenzy

noun

fren·​zy

ˈfren-zē

plural frenzies

: great and often wild or disorderly activity

Medical Definition

frenzy

noun

fren·​zy ˈfren-zē 

plural frenzies

1

a

: a temporary madness

b

: a violent mental or emotional agitation

2

: intense usually wild and often disorderly compulsive or agitated activity

frenzied

-zēd 

adjective