Linsanity means: Enthusiasm and excitement about the sudden rise of Jeremy Lin (then of the NBA's New York Knicks) to basketball stardom in 2012.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. It is sporting vocabulary and harmless in itself.
Linsanity
(US, basketball, slang) Enthusiasm and excitement about the sudden rise of Jeremy Lin (then of the NBA's New York Knicks) to basketball stardom in 2012.
Etymology timeline
Born ~2012 · no dated citations yetSeen in the wild
Firecrawl: 'Linsanity' hits Taiwan as Jeremy Lin conquers NBA - BBC News
"Linsanity" has now captured the imagination of millions of basketball fans in the US, China and other parts of Asia, with Lin now boasting hundreds of thousands of followers on social media sites.
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Firecrawl: Jeremy Lin - Wikipedia
I felt like they were all like hawks circling me and staring".[\[114\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Lin#cite_note-leitch201211-114) The craze surrounding Lin's sudden ascendancy became known as "Linsanity".
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Firecrawl: Linsanity (film) - Wikipedia
09. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linsanity_(film)#cite_ref-9 "Jump up")**["Linsanity Comes to CAAMFest Opening Night"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130207062813/http://www.asianweek.com/2013/01/31/linsanity-co…
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Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(US, basketball, slang) Enthusiasm and excitement about the sudden rise of Jeremy Lin (then of the NBA's New York Knicks) to basketball stardom in 2012.
See it in action
“"Linsanity" has now captured the imagination of millions of basketball fans in the US, China and other parts of Asia, with Lin now boasting hundreds of thousands of followers on social media sites.”
For parents
Linsanity means: Enthusiasm and excitement about the sudden rise of Jeremy Lin (then of the NBA's New York Knicks) to basketball stardom in 2012.. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. It is sporting vocabulary and harmless in itself.
For ESL learners
Linsanity means: Enthusiasm and excitement about the sudden rise of Jeremy Lin (then of the NBA's New York Knicks) to basketball stardom in 2012.. Register: very informal, slang. Suitable only for casual conversation, chat and social media. Do not use in business, academic or news writing. Common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; always check the context before producing it yourself.
Heard in the wild
“"Linsanity" has now captured the imagination of millions of basketball fans in the US, China and other parts of Asia, with Lin now boasting hundreds of thousands of followers on social media sites.”
“I felt like they were all like hawks circling me and staring".[\[114\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Lin#cite_note-leitch201211-114) The craze surrounding Lin's sudden ascendancy became known as "Linsanity".”
“09. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linsanity_(film)#cite_ref-9 "Jump up")**["Linsanity Comes to CAAMFest Opening Night"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130207062813/http://www.asianweek.com/2013/01/31/linsanity-comes-to-caamfest-opening-night/). _AsianWeek.com_.”
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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US
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Other words near "Linsanity" (L)
linkagelinkslandlinktreeLinkumlink uplinnetlinsanity checklinsanity energylinsanity modeLintardL in the chatlintie
Browse all slang words starting with L.
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