craze

verb \ ˈkrāz \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of craze

crazed; crazing

transitive verb

1 obsolete : break, shatter

2 : to produce minute cracks on the surface or glaze of

crazed glass

crazed pottery

3 : to make insane or as if insane

crazed by pain and fear

crazed addicts

intransitive verb

1 archaic : shatter, break

2 : to become insane

3 : to develop a mesh of fine cracks

See craze defined for kids

Examples of craze in a Sentence

soldiers who had been crazed by months of combat and chaos in the countryside

Recent Examples of craze from the Web

Robert Mann, an airline consultant and former American Airlines executive, said windows are periodically polished to remove crazing, the formation of tiny cracks in the acrylic windows from exposure to chemicals and the sun’s rays.

— mark gillispie and david koenig, BostonGlobe.com, "Southwest plane with cracked window diverted to Cleveland," 2 May 2018
Becker then built a stout wire fence around his reservation and lived in peace until last week when a killer whale, or orca, arrived and so harried the sea lions that, crazed with fright, the lions smashed down his fence and swarmed his lighthouse.

— johnny miller, San Francisco Chronicle, "Reporter Randy Shilts announces he has AIDS, 1993," 7 Feb. 2018
While the other characters explore romance and sexuality, Jamal explores desperation, getting increasingly crazed by the episode.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Rolling Deep With The On My Block RollerWorld Conspiracy," 28 Mar. 2018
Lesser clay bricks that might be used for construction of walls often craze and crumble after several winters in contact with soil.

— courtney ortega, star-telegram, "Great garden-path options to ponder," 1 Nov. 2017
In a nation as soccer-crazed yet World Cup-deprived as Peru has been, this is an absolutely massive deal.

— daniel rapaport, SI.com, "Peru's President Told Public Workers to Leave Work at 4 PM to Watch Crucial World Cup Qualifier," 10 Oct. 2017
Her face bursts into a grin at once crazed and innocent.

— sarah miller, The Cut, "I Think About This a Lot: The Cat Refrigerator Scene in The Secret Life of Pets," 2 Oct. 2017
My only thought on the motivational trash can craze sweeping the

— brian stultz, ajc, "LOOK: Texas A&M copies Tennessee with its own turnover trash can," 16 Sep. 2017
Then as now, Valdez and other small Alaska towns were basketball-crazed.

— yereth rosen, Alaska Dispatch News, "The big quake: New book explains how 1964 reshaped Alaska and the scientific world," 3 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'craze.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of craze

Middle English crasen to crush, craze, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Swedish krasa to crush

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

craze Synonyms

Synonyms

crack, derange, frenzy, madden, unbalance, unhinge, unstring;

Near Antonyms

calm, quiet, relax, settle, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize);

annoy, irritate, vex;

craze

noun

Definition of craze

1 : an exaggerated and often transient enthusiasm : mania

the latest craze in music

2 : a crack in a surface or coating (as of glaze or enamel)

See craze defined for English-language learners

Examples of craze in a Sentence

if history is any guide, this latest diet for losing weight is just another craze

Recent Examples of craze from the Web

And Baltimore restaurants are getting in on the craze.

— john-john williams iv, baltimoresun.com, "Royal wedding watch parties and specials in Baltimore," 17 May 2018
Coconut Chia Pudding Superfood chia is the latest health craze.

— nicole sours larson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Gourmet food on a budget," 23 Apr. 2018
The latest craze to sweep the Twitterverse combines two of our favorite things: Amazon and zoo animals.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "Zoos are Giving Their Animals Hilarious Amazon-Style Reviews on Twitter," 15 Mar. 2018
Could Parks and Recreation ever get in on the reboot craze, like Will and Grace and The Office?

— Vogue, "Retta Moves on from Parks and Rec in Good Girls, But Never Say Never," 26 Feb. 2018
That's right: Cheese tea is apparently the latest food craze.

— taysha murtaugh, Country Living, "Cheese Tea Is Now a Thing People Are Actually Ordering (Y'all Read That Right!)," 10 Jan. 2018
But in the second coming of the plant craze, not all plants are created equal.

— cindy dampier, chicagotribune.com, "#PlantShelfie: Houseplants are having a social media moment," 1 May 2018
Ohtani, the craze of baseball, and now facing its most powerful team in the Boston Red Sox, was gone by the time most of the fans even had a chance to order their first hot dog.

— bob nightengale, USA TODAY, "Shohei Ohtani's Angels tenure faces its first real taste of adversity vs. Red Sox," 18 Apr. 2018
The way some people can’t resist trying the latest workout craze, trendy fashions or exotic superfoods.

— NBC News, "I gave up my credit card for a month — and learned a ton about my spending habits," 7 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of craze

see ¹craze

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1812

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

craze Synonyms

Synonyms

enthusiasm, fad, fashion, go, last word, latest, mode, rage, sensation, style, trend, vogue;

Near Antonyms

furor, fuss, hullabaloo, to-do, uproar;

bandwagon, crusade, cult, movement;

novelty, wrinkle;

caprice, fancy, whim;

Synonym Discussion of craze

fashion, style, mode, vogue, fad, rage, craze mean the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date. fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

- the current fashion

style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

- a media baron used to traveling in style

mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

- slim bodies are the mode at this resort

vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

- short skirts are back in vogue

fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

- last year's fad is over

rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

- Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
- crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

Other Paints and Dyes Terms

bloom, medium, size, vehicle

CRAZE Defined for English Language Learners

craze

noun

Definition of craze for English Language Learners

: something that is very popular for a period of time

CRAZE Defined for Kids

craze

noun \ ˈkrāz \

Definition of craze for Students

: something that is very popular for a short while

Medical Dictionary

craze

verb \ ˈkrāz \

medical Definition of craze

crazed; crazing

transitive verb

: to make insane or as if insane

crazed by pain and fear

intransitive verb

: to become insane

Learn More about craze

See words that rhyme with craze Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for craze Spanish Central: Translation of craze Nglish: Translation of craze for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of craze for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about craze

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craze

Definition of craze

Examples of craze in a Sentence

Recent Examples of craze from the Web

Origin and Etymology of craze

craze Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

craze

Definition of craze

Examples of craze in a Sentence

Recent Examples of craze from the Web

Origin and Etymology of craze

craze Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of craze

Other Paints and Dyes Terms

CRAZE Defined for English Language Learners

craze

Definition of craze for English Language Learners

CRAZE Defined for Kids

craze

Definition of craze for Students

Medical Dictionary

craze

medical Definition of craze

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