# frenzy

/ˈfɹɛnzi/ (US) · /fɹˈɛnzi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/frenzy
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. wild activity

noun · CEFR B2

a period of time when people are very excited or active in an uncontrolled way.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. mental agitation

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a state of mind where you are so angry or upset that you cannot think clearly.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to make frantic

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal

to make someone or something become wild and uncontrolled.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The sale caused a shopping frenzy at the mall.
- The media frenzy surrounding the celebrity's arrival made it impossible for her to leave the airport.
- The sudden drop in interest rates sparked a feeding frenzy among potential homebuyers, leading to aggressive bidding wars and record-breaking sales prices.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.