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Stir-crazy originated as a word to describe a prisoner who became distraught after prolonged confinement. Stir is a 19th-century slang word for "prison" that some word historians have suspected to be from Romani stariben, of the same meaning. But a convincing argument of that origin has yet been made. Today, stir-crazy describes any person who has become restless, agitated, or anxious from being or feeling entrapped in some place.
Examples of stir-crazy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At first, Drew set out to remix Todd Phillips’s Joker as a stir-crazy lockdown goof and a spoof.
—
Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
They were stir-crazy and impatient for the dance floor.
—Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024
That was one wet winter and most of us — including our dogs — were starting to go pretty stir-crazy with all the rain.
—Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
In 2021 and 2022, American consumers, stir-crazy from covid-19 lockdowns and armed with government relief checks, went on a spending spree, ordering furniture, sports equipment and other goods.
—Paul Wiseman and Mae Anderson The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 30 Jan. 2024
In 2021 and 2022, American consumers, stir-crazy from COVID-19 lockdowns and armed with government relief checks, went on a spending spree.
—Paul Wiseman and Mae Anderson, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2024
If staying at home during your time off is bound to drive you stir-crazy, camping is a sure cure for cabin fever.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023
So, after two years of living and working in the Train Station, Paulina was getting stir-crazy.
—The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023
Helping stir-crazy readers and offering a local alternative to certain omniretail monoliths?
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 11 Apr. 2023
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
They were stir-crazy and impatient for the dance floor.
—Lucy McKeon, New York Times, 3 June 2024
That was one wet winter and most of us — including our dogs — were starting to go pretty stir-crazy with all the rain.
—Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
In 2021 and 2022, American consumers, stir-crazy from covid-19 lockdowns and armed with government relief checks, went on a spending spree, ordering furniture, sports equipment and other goods.
—Paul Wiseman and Mae Anderson The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 30 Jan. 2024
In 2021 and 2022, American consumers, stir-crazy from COVID-19 lockdowns and armed with government relief checks, went on a spending spree.
—Paul Wiseman and Mae Anderson, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2024
If staying at home during your time off is bound to drive you stir-crazy, camping is a sure cure for cabin fever.
—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 28 Aug. 2023
So, after two years of living and working in the Train Station, Paulina was getting stir-crazy.
—The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023
Helping stir-crazy readers and offering a local alternative to certain omniretail monoliths?
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 11 Apr. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near stir-crazy
Cite this Entry
“Stir-crazy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stir-crazy. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
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