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
Robert F. Moss
b
: behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous : extreme folly
an idea that is pure/sheer madness
c
d
: intense anger : rage
2
: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior
specifically
: rabies
Synonyms
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
Amid the madness and tension of the most recent presidential-election campaign, a wild form of clickbait video started flying around the political internet.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2025
The harsh fact is that after Oct. 7 neither Israel nor the second Trump administration are going to have tolerance for Hamas continuing their reign of madness and delusion in Gaza.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
That includes hunting and other kinds of macho madness that Blake rebels against, a divide that never really got healed and a father/son bond that was completely broken when Grady simply disappeared.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2025
So there's a whole lot more history there of my madness and my adrenaline junkie activity.
—Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for madness 
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Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 Jan. 2025
The harsh fact is that after Oct. 7 neither Israel nor the second Trump administration are going to have tolerance for Hamas continuing their reign of madness and delusion in Gaza.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
That includes hunting and other kinds of macho madness that Blake rebels against, a divide that never really got healed and a father/son bond that was completely broken when Grady simply disappeared.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 15 Jan. 2025
So there's a whole lot more history there of my madness and my adrenaline junkie activity.
—Elizabeth Stanton, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for madness
Dictionary Entries Near madness
Cite this Entry
“Madness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/madness. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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