ENGLISH
REFERENCE

craze

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈkɹeɪz// UK //kɹˈeɪz// craze Archaic

n. something that is very popular for a short time. It is often a hobby or a style that many people suddenly start doing.

n. an enthusiastic and widespread interest in a particular activity or object, typically one that is short-lived.


SIMPLE

The new dance craze is spreading quickly on social media.

CONTEXTUAL

In the late nineties, there was a massive craze for collecting digital pets that required constant attention.

COMPLEX

Sociologists often study how a consumer craze can bypass traditional marketing channels and gain momentum through peer-to-peer imitation alone.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English crasen (“to crush, break, break to pieces, shatter, craze”), from Old Norse *krasa (“to shatter”), ultimately imitative. Cognate with Scots krass (“to crush, squeeze, wrinkle”), Icelandic krasa (“to crackle”), Norwegian krasa (“to shatter, crush”), Swedish krasa (“to crack, crackle”), Danish krase (“to crack, crackle”), Faroese kras (“small pieces”).

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'for' to indicate the object of interest.

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