stampede

1 of 2

noun

stam·​pede (ˌ)stam-ˈpēd 

1

: a wild headlong rush or flight of frightened animals

2

: a mass movement of people at a common impulse

3

: an extended festival combining a rodeo with exhibitions, contests, and social events

stampede

2 of 2

verb

stampeded; stampeding

transitive verb

1

: to cause to run away in headlong panic

2

: to cause (a group or mass of people) to act on sudden or rash impulse

intransitive verb

1

: to flee headlong in panic

2

: to act on mass impulse

stampeder noun

Examples of stampede in a Sentence

Noun

a stampede to the exits

a stampede to buy the stock

a stampede of new applicants

Verb

People stampeded to the exits.

The gunshot stampeded the cattle.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The article suggests a one-time California levy is unlikely to trigger a billionaire stampede. — Teresa Ghilarducci, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Kumar said the cause of the stampede was still being investigated. — ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026

Verb

The Bison won Camelia Bowl games at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium to cap the 1969 and 1970 seasons, stampeding past Montana both times. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 20 Sep. 2026

Sailing through the Drake Passage is like being on a mountain bike and joining in with a herd of stampeding bison, or like paragliding between Alpine peaks in the middle of the wildest storm. — Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

American Spanish estampida, from Spanish, crash, from estampar to stamp, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stampfōn to stamp

First Known Use

Noun

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1838, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for stampede

• accede
• agreed
• airspeed
• alkyd
• bindweed
• chickweed
• concede
• decreed
• duckweed
• exceed
• flaxseed
• impede

Kids Definition

stampede

1 of 2 noun

stam·​pede stam-ˈpēd 

1

: a wild rush or flight of frightened animals

2

: a sudden movement of a crowd of people

stampede

2 of 2 verb

stampeded; stampeding

1

: to run away or cause (as cattle) to run away in panic

2

: to act together or cause to act together suddenly and without thought

Etymology

Noun

from a word in the Spanish of Mexico and the American Southwest, estampida "stampede," from Spanish estampida "a crash, loud noise," from estamper "to pound, stamp"