stampede
C1Neutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
A sudden, panicked rush or charge of a large group of animals or people, typically triggered by fear or surprise.
Any large-scale, sudden, and often disorderly movement or rush towards something, such as a financial market trend, a purchase, or a career choice, often driven by a herd mentality.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word inherently implies uncontrolled movement driven by panic, fear, or sudden collective impulse. It carries negative or dangerous connotations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage and meaning are identical. No significant dialectal variation.
Connotations
Identical in both varieties: implies chaos, danger, and loss of control.
Frequency
Broadly similar frequency in both UK and US English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to stampede through/in/out of [place]to stampede towards/into [goal/direction][crowd/cattle] stampededVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Don't get caught up in the stampede. (metaphorical advice against herd mentality)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"A stampede for the exits by investors caused the stock price to plummet."
Academic
"The study analysed the social dynamics leading to a human stampede during an emergency evacuation."
Everyday
"When the doors opened on Black Friday, there was a stampede of shoppers rushing for the TVs."
Technical
"A cattle stampede can be triggered by a sudden loud noise or perceived threat."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The horses stampeded through the village.
- Fans might stampede the stage if security is lax.
American English
- The crowd stampeded for the exits when the fire alarm sounded.
- Investors stampeded out of tech stocks.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The loud noise made the cattle stampede.
- Shoppers caused a small stampede to get the last sale items.
- A stampede broke out at the concert when part of the stage collapsed, leading to several injuries.
- The announcement of a tax hike triggered a stampede to buy property before the deadline.
- The government's warning about the currency's instability precipitated a stampede on the banks as people rushed to withdraw their savings.
- Pundits criticized the media for creating a stampede mentality among voters during the election cycle.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a STAMPing crowd that's in a great spEED – STAMPEDE.
Conceptual Metaphor
PANIC IS A RUNAWAY HERD / TRENDS ARE STAMPEDES.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'stamp' (штемпель/марка). The Russian 'давка' (crush) captures the human aspect but misses the 'sudden, panicked movement' core meaning.
Common Mistakes
- Using it for any fast movement without the element of panic or large numbers (e.g., 'He stampeded to the bus stop' is wrong).
- Confusing it as a synonym for a simple 'run'.
Practice
Quiz
Which scenario best exemplifies a 'stampede' in a business context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is commonly used metaphorically for sudden, collective actions driven by fear or herd mentality, e.g., 'a stampede to invest in cryptocurrency' or 'a stampede of applicants'.
'Panic' is the internal emotional state of sudden, overwhelming fear. 'Stampede' is the observable, physical (or metaphorical) *action* or chaotic movement that results from that panic in a large group.
Virtually always. It describes uncontrolled, dangerous, and chaotic movement, even if the outcome (e.g., getting a bargain) is desired by some individuals.
No. By definition, a stampede involves a large group. A single person can 'stampede' only metaphorically if they are part of a larger collective action ('He stampeded with the others'), but not alone.
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