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.
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