spaz
spaz Lexical Profile
spaz Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A clumsy, uncoordinated, or overly excitable person (slang, often offensive and derogatory).
"He felt like a total spaz after tripping over his own shoelaces in the hallway."
• verb
North American To lose physical or emotional control; to freak out or act in a frantic, erratic manner (slang, often with 'out', considered offensive by many).
"The dog started to spaz when it heard the sudden crack of thunder outside."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because the term originates as a clipping of 'spastic' (referring to cerebral palsy), it is widely considered an offensive, ableist slur—particularly in British English—even when used casually in North America to describe mere clumsiness or overexcitement.
• Rhymes for spaz
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in mid-20th-century American slang as a phonetic shortening of 'spastic', which ultimately derives from Ancient Greek 'spastikos' meaning 'drawing in' or 'pulling'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.