Craze Meaning
/kɹeɪz/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA strong habitual desire or fancy.
nounA temporary passion or infatuation, as for some new amusement, pursuit, or fashion; a fad.
Sentence Examples
I am still keeping up my tennis craze.
She follows the latest craze.
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The new dance ____ swept through the school within just one week.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Have you heard about the new dance craze? / Listen to us, I'm sure you'll be amazed / Big fun to be had by everyone / It's up to you, it surely can be done"
— 1978 September 21, Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers, “Le Freak”, in C'est Chic, performed by Chic, track 2:
"Winemaking was a huge craze in the 1970s, when affordable package holidays to the continent gave people a taste for winedrinking, but the recession made it hard to afford off-license prices back home."
— 2012, Alan Titchmarsh, The Complete Countryman: A User's Guide to Traditional Skills and Lost Crafts:
"‘A poor fellow with a craze, sir,’ said Mr. Dick, ‘a simpleton, a weak-minded person […] may do what wonderful people may not do. […]’"
— 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC:
"till length of years / And ſedentary numneſs craze my limbs"
— 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 39, lines 571–572:
"any man […] that is crazed and out of his wits"
— 1664, John Tillotson, “Sermon I. The Wisdom of Being Religious. Job XXVIII. 28.”, in The Works of the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson, Late Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: […], London: […] B. Aylmer, […]; [a]nd W. Rogers, […], published 1696, →OCLC:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The new dance ____ swept through the school within just one week.