craze

verb \ ˈkrāz \

Updated on: 10 Apr 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

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
Seemingly crazed by his sorrow, Quan keeps questioning authorities for the names of who bears responsibility for his daughter's death.

— brian lowry, CNN, "Jackie Chan can't beat life into 'The Foreigner'," 13 Oct. 2017
Ryan Cremeens was a vibrant and sports-crazed 8-year-old who was in St. Petersburg, Fla., to visit his Uncle Pat and at Raymond James Stadium as part of a surprise Christmas present.

— dan wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "Zach Miller inspires 9-year-old cancer survivor: 'Ryan wasn't afraid anymore'," 5 Aug. 2017
However, for as Maryland- and lacrosse-crazed as the family's schedule is, the Reeses want to manage a quiet Father's Day.

— callie caplan, baltimoresun.com, "Doing it all: Cathy and Brian Reese balance coaching lacrosse, family," 17 June 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

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

Producers also feared that the song, based on a then-current dance craze, would date the film, which went on to become a timeless classic.

— christopher arnott, courant.com, "Hartt Grads Come Home For 'Wizard Of Oz' Tour At The Bushnell," 21 Mar. 2018
Starting this week, Lindbergh Field becomes one of just two airports in the country to offer mobile delivery to passengers, jumping on the order-ahead craze popularized by such online platforms as DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Craving doughnuts, Thai or burgers at the airport? Get it delivered.," 16 Mar. 2018
Sweden’s latest fitness craze — plogging — is making its way to U.S. shores.

— allison klein, Washington Post, "‘Plogging’ is the Swedish fitness craze for people who want to save the planet. It’s making its way to the U.S.," 23 Feb. 2018
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera got in on the curling craze sparked by the 2018 Winter Olympics.

— alysha tsuji, For The Win, "Panthers coach Ron Rivera went curling, realized it was very difficult," 23 Feb. 2018
Lucky Charms isn't the only cereal brand getting in on the unicorn craze that just won't quit: Unicorn Froot Loops have taken over supermarkets in the United Kingdom.

— melissa minton, Teen Vogue, "Lucky Charms Is Adding a Unicorn Marshmallow Shape," 20 Feb. 2018
The craze created by the iconic dish Blackened Redfish led to the slaughter of millions of pounds of breeding-sized redfish.

— todd masson, NOLA.com, "8 best baits for speckled trout right now," 23 Jan. 2018
Chen sued some of the Chinese companies that began churning out hoverboards, but eventually licensed his patent to RazorUSA, the company whose folding kick scooters were an early 2000s craze.

— elliot njus | the oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Hoverboard inventor Shane Chen takes another crack at transportation's 'last mile' problem," 20 Jan. 2018
And now, the design industry is finally getting in on the craze — at least, according to Pinterest.

— lauren smith, House Beautiful, ""Unicorn Spit" Is the New Trend Taking Over the Design World," 26 May 2017

Origin and Etymology of craze

see ¹craze

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1812

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.