Standard Lemma guide

stampede

noun · verb · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /stæmˈpiːd/
  • General-American: /stæmˈpid/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːd
  • CMU ARPABET: S T AE0 M P IY1 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A wild, headlong running away or scamper of a number of animals, usually caused by fright.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crush, flight, jam, rush, stampedo, trampling

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A situation in which many people in a crowd are trying to move in the same direction at the same time, especially in consequence of a panic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

Examples

  • The annual Muslim Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is attended by millions of pilgrims, has increasingly suffered from stampedes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: crush, rush

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An event at which cowboy skills are displayed; a rodeo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A sudden unconcerted acting together of a number of persons due to, or as if due to, some common impulse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • a stampede toward US bonds in the credit markets

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To cause (a drove or herd of animals) to run away or scamper in a wild, headlong manner, usually due to fright.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cause animals (owned by a person) to run away or scamper in this manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stampedo

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To cause (people in a crowd) to move in the same direction at the same time, especially due to panic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To cause (an individual) to act hastily or rashly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, transitive

Examples

  • I was stampeded into buying an unnecessary insurance against earthquakes, fires, and flooding.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To cause (people) to act in a sudden unconcerted manner due to, or as if due to, some common impulse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

Of a drove or herd of animals: to run away or scamper in a wild, headlong manner, usually due to fright.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

Of people in a crowd: to move in the same direction at the same time, especially due to panic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

Of people: to act in a sudden unconcerted manner due to, or as if due to, some common impulse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

noun

Meaning 13

a headlong rush of people on a common impulse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • when he shouted `fire' there was a stampede to the exits

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: group action

14

noun

Meaning 14

a wild headlong rush of frightened animals (horses or cattle)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change of location, travel

15

verb

Meaning 15

run away in a stampede

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: flee, fly, take flight

16

verb

Meaning 16

cause to run in panic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Thunderbolts can stampede animals

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

act, usually en masse, hurriedly or on an impulse

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Companies will now stampede to release their latest software

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, move

18

verb

Meaning 18

cause a group or mass of people to act on an impulse or hurriedly and impulsively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The tavern owners stampeded us into overeating

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The noun is derived from Mexican Spanish estampida (“a stampede”), from Spanish estampida, estampido (“a bang, a crack (sound)”), from Old Occitan estampida, from Gothic *𐍃𐍄𐌰𐌼𐍀𐌾𐌰𐌽 (*stampjan), from Proto-Germanic *stampōną (“to compress, squeeze; to stamp”), from Proto-Indo-European *stembh- (“to trample down”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Across languages

Translations

67 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: стампедо (stampedo) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Catalan: estampida — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Chinese Mandarin: 踩踏 (cǎità) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Chinese Mandarin: 惊逃 (Jīngtáo) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Czech: úprk — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Dutch: stormloop — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Finnish: rynnistys — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • French: bousculade — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • French: débandade — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Georgian: ჭყლეტა (č̣q̇leṭa) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • German: Stampede — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Hebrew: מנוסה (menusá) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Hebrew: מרוץ (meróts) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Hebrew: נהירה (nehirá) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Italian: fuggifuggi — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Italian: scompiglio — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Japanese: 群集事故 (gunshūjiko) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Persian: پاسپار (pâsepâr) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Polish: paniczna ucieczka — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Portuguese: debandada — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Romanian: busculadă — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Romanian: învălmășeală — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Russian: пани́ческое бе́гство (paníčeskoje bégstvo) — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Serbo-Croatian: стампе̑до — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Serbo-Croatian: stampȇdo — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Spanish: estampida — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Swedish: panikartad flykt — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Turkish: bozgun — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Turkish: izdiham — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Welsh: rhuthr — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Welsh: rhusfa — wild, headlong running of a number of animals
  • Arabic: تَدَافُع (tadāfuʕ) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Arabic: هَرْج (harj) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Central Bikol: roborobo — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Chinese Cantonese: 人踩人 (jan4 caai2 jan4) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 踩踏 (cǎità) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Finnish: rynnistys — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Finnish: ryntäys — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • French: bousculade — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Georgian: ჭყლეტა (č̣q̇leṭa) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Georgian: მასობრივი პანიკა (masobrivi ṗaniḳa) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Georgian: პანიკური გაქცევა (ṗaniḳuri gakceva) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • German: Stampede — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • German: Massenpanik — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Hindi: भगदड़ (bhagdaṛ) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Indonesian: rempuhan — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Malay: rempuhan — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Russian: да́вка (dávka) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Spanish: estampida — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Spanish: desbandada — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Swahili: mkanyagano — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Turkish: izdiham — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Urdu: بھگدڑ (bhagdaṛ) — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Welsh: rhuthr — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Welsh: rhuthrad — crowd trying to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Finnish: ryntäys — sudden unconcerted acting together of a number of persons
  • Italian: calca — sudden unconcerted acting together of a number of persons
  • Finnish: rynnätä pakoon — to cause (a drove or herd of animals) to run away or scamper in a wild, headlong manner; to cause animals (owned by a person) to run away or scamper in this manner
  • Māori: rara — to cause (a drove or herd of animals) to run away or scamper in a wild, headlong manner; to cause animals (owned by a person) to run away or scamper in this manner
  • Chinese Cantonese: 人踩人 (jan4 caai2 jan4) — to cause (people in a crowd) to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Chinese Mandarin: 踩踏 (cǎità) — to cause (people in a crowd) to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Finnish: aiheuttaa ryntäys — to cause (people in a crowd) to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Finnish: aiheuttaa ryntäys — to cause (an individual) to act hastily or rashly
  • Finnish: aiheuttaa ryntäys — to cause (people) to act in a sudden unconcerted manner due to, or as if due to, some common impulse
  • Finnish: rynnistää — of a drove or herd of animals: to run away or scamper in a wild, headlong manner
  • Finnish: rynnätä — of people in a crowd: to move in the same direction at the same time
  • Finnish: rynnätä — of people: to act in a sudden unconcerted manner due to, or as if due to, some common impulse
Real reading context

stampede in complete knowledge articles