Word
frenzy
Phoneticsfren·zy, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɹɛnzi/
UK/fɹˈɛnzi/
Definitions
01wild activity
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a period of time when people are very excited or active in an uncontrolled way.
n. a state of wild, frantic, or uncontrolled activity, often involving a large group or intense emotion.
“The shoppers were in a frenzy as they tried to get the best deals.”
“The announcement of the new product line sent the tech industry into a speculative frenzy that lasted for weeks.”
02mental agitation
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Literary
n. a state of mind where you are so angry or upset that you cannot think clearly.
n. a violent agitation of the mind approaching temporary madness or extreme rage.
“In a frenzy of anger, he threw his phone across the room.”
“The protagonist, driven by a frenzy of grief, wandered the moors until dawn broke over the horizon.”
Antonyms
03to make frantic
C2 · Proficiency Formal
v. to make someone or something become wild and uncontrolled.
v. to drive into a state of frantic or wild activity. Transitive in this sense; often used in the passive voice.
“The smell of blood frenzied the sharks in the water.”
“The crowd was frenzied by the speaker's aggressive rhetoric, leading to a chaotic demonstration outside the hall.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“A global frenzy around artificial intelligence has driven wild swings in the value of the country's biggest chipmakers.” “The Sun and the Daily Mail newspapers enjoyed a feeding frenzy at the prospect of a black man – one with locs, no less – becoming a fellow at Cambridge.” “The biggest surprise appeared after the black hole's feeding frenzy had mostly died down.” Etymology
From Middle English frensy, frenesie, from Old French frenesie, from Latin phrenesis, from Ancient Greek φρένησις (phrénēsis), a later equivalent of φρενῖτις (phrenîtis, “inflammation of the brain”): see frantic and frenetic. Doublet of phrenesis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. feeding frenzy
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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