Sprung

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈspɹʌŋ/
• Rhymes: -ʌŋ

Verb

1. Past participle of spring
2. Alternative form of sprang:

   sprung

   (simple past of spring)

Full definition of sprung

Adjective

1. (slang, African American Vernacular English) Utterly infatuated with someone; completely taken over by romantic interest.
• 1992, w:Baby Got Back, I like big butts and I cannot lie.
  You other brothers can’t deny
  that when a girl walks in
  with a itty bitty waist
  and a round thing in your face you get sprung.
• 2003, w:Crazy in Love (Beyoncé Knowles song), ...
  ’Cause your love got the best of me,
  And baby, you’re making a fool of me.
  You got me sprung and I don’t care who sees,
  ’Cause baby, you got me so crazy.
• 2005, Sprung, ’Cause I’m sprung over you
  And ain’t nothin’ I can do
  ...
  Thoughts of you fill my head
  ...
2. (obsolete, nautical, of a spar) cracked or strained

Usage notes

The adjective sprung, unlike (say) infatuated, does not normally take a complement; a person may be infatuated with someone, but is simply sprung. As with crazy or gaga, the target of the emotion is normally indicated by surrounding context; this is seen in the 1992 and 2003 quotations above. However, while relatively uncommon, it is possible for sprung to take a complement, construed with a preposition such as over (much like gaga); this is seen in the 2005 quotation above.