hyperinflation

noun

hy·​per·​in·​fla·​tion ˌhī-pər-in-ˈflā-shən 

: extreme or excessive inflation: such as

a

: excessive distension with air or gas

hyperinflation of the lungs

b

: extreme economic inflation with prices rising at a very high rate in a very short time

But the policy also fueled hyperinflation that experts say left Iran's economy weaker in the long run.

—Ramin Mostaghim

also : a period of such inflation

While every company may employ any of a variety of cash investment options during hyperinflation, every successful company has one policy in common …

—Gerald Swanson

hyperinflationary

ˌhī-pər-in-ˈflā-shə-ˌnər-ē 

adjective

Examples of hyperinflation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Public discourse habitually links dollar death to sudden economic disaster—a cratering currency, sovereign debt default, or hyperinflation. — Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, Fortune, 17 July 2026

The team’s dramas coincided with years of wider chaos in the country, as cycles of hyperinflation and bailouts bedevilled its economy. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 16 July 2026

Fujimori, 51, is the daughter of late President Alberto Fujimori, who governed the country ​with an iron fist from 1990 to 2000 and was credited with defeating Maoist insurgents and taming runaway hyperinflation. — Reuters, NBC news, 4 July 2026

Depressed wages, a weak currency and hyperinflation have continued to make life difficult for ordinary Venezuelans, many of whom struggle to afford basic goods. — Helen Regan, CNN Money, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hyperinflation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

hyperinflation

noun

hy·​per·​in·​fla·​tion -in-ˈflā-shən 

: inflation that increases very quickly over a short period of time

Medical Definition

hyperinflation

noun

hy·​per·​in·​fla·​tion ˌhī-pə-rin-ˈflā-shən 

: excessive inflation (as of the lungs)