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stampede

stampede

26 4.9
A sudden rush of animals or people when they are scared
  • noun
  • /stæmˈpiːd/
translation icon : estampida
  • And that's exactly what it is, a stampede of at least forty dinosaurs, Gallimimus by name.

Don't get hurt in a Stampede at a Walmart this Black Friday.

Examples

  • The herd of deer raced away in a wild stampede when they sensed a predator nearby.

  • In the chaos of the stampede, everyone loses sight of each other.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • There was always the risk of a stampede when the herd began running out of control without warning.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • As soon as she knocked, there was a stampede of feet.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Why, I imagine I would be crushed in the stampede of young ladies rushing to your rescue.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • There was a stampede toward the door, and the usual crooked line formed.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • News that a carbon tax was coming would create a stampede to develop energy-saving technologies.

    Blog text (8)
  • I was once caught in a stampede... of wild elephants... India, you know... but I wasn't half as frightened.

  • The sudden noise caused a stampede of people trying to escape the building.

  • During the concert, a stampede broke out when someone shouted 'fire', leading to panic among the crowd.

Synonyms

rush
vsstampede
518 1.8

A sudden strong movement or flow caused by urgency and excitement

is an uncontrolled mass flight caused by fear or strong excitement

Antonyms

52 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

How Violent

riot
329 4.1
stampede
26 4.9
surge
143 4.2
crowd
1.0

Surface Forms

stampede singular
stampedes plural

Morphology

stampede = stamp (semi-transparent) = stamp + ede

The form and sense relate to 'stamp' (to trample or strike with the feet), but '-ede' is not a productive English suffix and the word entered English via Spanish borrowing, so the relation is visible but not a regular English derivation.

Etymology

The word stampede comes from the Spanish word estampar 'to stamp' and is like the English word stamp. Imagine many animals stamping their feet and then suddenly running in fear, so a stampede is a sudden, uncontrolled rush of animals.