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Glite Dictionary
cage stage

cage stage

9.8
A short time of very strong enthusiasm after a big personal change that makes people act overly excited or extreme
  • noun
translation icon : etapa de jaula
  • The cage stage can sometimes strain relationships with friends who do not share the same enthusiasm.

Examples

  • He is definitely in the cage stage after his recent conversion.

  • Many people remember their own cage stage and laugh about how intense they were.

  • After joining the group, he went through a cage stage where he talked about it constantly.

  • Many people experience a cage stage after a major life change.

  • Many people remember their own cage stage and laugh about how intense they were.

  • After joining the group, he went through a cage stage where he talked about it constantly.

  • The cage stage can sometimes strain relationships with friends who do not share the same enthusiasm.

Antonyms

maturity
101 3.3

A state of being fully grown in body, mind, or feelings

calm
52 1.0

A quiet, peaceful feeling that helps you stay steady

How Zealous

fanaticism
16 7.4
cage stage
9.8
zeal
36 5.8
enthusiasm
288 2.2
interest
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

cage stage singular
cage stages plural

Morphology

cage + stage

The attested meaning — a period of intense enthusiasm or overzealous behavior — is not predictably built from 'cage' (restriction) + 'stage' (phase); there is no clear compositional or metaphorical path from ‘being confined’ to ‘overenthusiasm’. The expression appears to be specialized/slang and would be unfamiliar to most learners without prior exposure, so a B1 learner knowing the words would not reliably infer the idiomatic sense.

Etymology

Cage stage may come from the image of an animal put into a new cage that paces and makes noise for a short stage before it settles down. That's why the phrase is used for a 'short period' of very strong enthusiasm or extreme behavior after a big change.