Other forms: frenzies
A frenzy is a state of wild uncontrolled excitement. A feeding frenzy, whipped into a frenzy, a media frenzy.
It is used more of crowds than of individuals, and a feeding frenzy is the standard image, borrowed from sharks. Whip up a frenzy is what the phrase almost always is, which says something about how such states usually start.
1nounfrenzyA state of wild uncontrolled excitement.
“The fans worked themselves into a frenzy as the band came on stage.”
frenzy is a state.
Greek phrenitis meant inflammation of the brain, from phren, the mind. Frantic and frenetic are relatives.
Ancient Greek
*φρένησις
Latin
phrenesis
Old French
frenesie
Middle English
frensy
English, today
frenzy
Built from
From Middle English frensy, frenesie, from Old French frenesie, from Latin phrenesis, from Ancient Greek φρένησις, a later equivalent of φρενῖτις (“inflammation of the brain”): see frantic and frenetic. a doublet of phrenesis.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA