Definition

1. Noun:

   • A sudden, panicked rush of a herd of animals: A "stampede" is a wild, uncontrolled mass flight, typically of large animals like cattle or horses, caused by fear.
   • A sudden, impulsive rush of many people: A "stampede" can also describe a situation where a large group of people suddenly and impulsively moves or acts in the same way, often due to panic, excitement, or a shared impulse.

2. Verb:

   • To run away in a sudden, panicked rush: Used for animals or people fleeing in a frightened, uncontrolled mass.
   • To cause a group to act suddenly and impulsively: To make a group of people or animals move or act hastily as a single mass, often without careful thought.
   • To act hurriedly or impulsively as a group: To participate in a sudden, collective rush of action, often in a competitive context.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The loud noise caused a stampede of the cattle across the plain.
  • There was a stampede for the best seats when the doors opened.

• Verb:

  • The herd of wildebeest began to stampede when they sensed the lion.
  • Investors stampeded to buy the new stock.
  • Rumors of a shortage stampeded people into buying more supplies than they needed.

Advanced Usage

• "to be caught up in a stampede": to become involved in a sudden, uncontrollable rush of people or events.

  • She was caught up in the stampede of shoppers on Black Friday.

• "to stampede someone into something": to pressure or cause someone to act hastily without proper consideration.

  • Don't let them stampede you into making a decision before you're ready.

Variants and Related Words

• Stampeder (n): A person or animal that participates in a stampede.
  • The stampeders fled the burning building.

Synonyms

• Noun: Rush, charge, flight, panic.
• Verb: Rush, charge, flee, bolt.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(This word is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically conveyed as a single verb.)

Related Idioms

• "Like a stampede of elephants": Used to describe something very loud, heavy, and uncontrollable.
  • The children ran down the stairs like a stampede of elephants.

Noun

1. a wild headlong rush of frightened animals (horses or cattle)
2. a headlong rush of people on a common impulse
   • when he shouted `fire' there was a stampede to the exits

Verb

1. run away in a stampede
2. act, usually en masse, hurriedly or on an impulse
   • Companies will now stampede to release their latest software
3. cause a group or mass of people to act on an impulse or hurriedly and impulsively
   • The tavern owners stampeded us into overeating
4. cause to run in panic
   • Thunderbolts can stampede animals