madness

noun

mad·​ness ˈmad-nəs 

1

: the quality or state of being mad: such as

a

: a state of severe mental illness

—not used technically

… fortifications against an inner darkness, the threat of madness that crouched above him throughout his life.

—Robert F. Moss

b

: behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous : extreme folly

an idea that is pure/sheer madness

c

: ecstasy, enthusiasm

d

: intense anger : rage

2

: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior

specifically : rabies

Synonyms

• aberration
• dementia
• derangement
• insanity
• lunacy
• mania
• rage [archaic]

Examples of madness in a Sentence

He suffered a series of tragedies that nearly drove him to madness.

Her friends told her the idea was pure madness, but she went through with it anyway.

It was the height of madness for him to drive at such high speeds!

Recent Examples on the Web

But Melina always fascinated Lila — the authenticity of madness, untethered from the social mores that dominated their environment, made sense for Lila. —Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024

Schedule madness Schools will play 18 conference games. —Beth Harris, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2024

The movie Tobe Hooper took liberal influence from Gein to craft The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, which remains an unrelenting vision of madness. —Declan Gallagher and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024

The second is the Campaign Expansion which offers monsters, madness and a few episodes for players to experience with different Mythos decks. —Rob Wieland, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing madness

• (a) method in/to one's madness

Medical Definition

madness

noun

mad·​ness ˈmad-nəs 

1

: a severely disordered state of mind

—not used technically

2

: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior

specifically : rabies