1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
you want to sneak into the building after the alarm is set—what lunacy!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dementia
a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life
the judge ruled that the lunacy of the accused made him incompetent to stand trial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
was it desperation or lunacy that caused him to quit his job and move to California without any plan for what to do when he got there?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lunacy
This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the U.S. must reject this lunacy.
—
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Every cold open featuring Harris and her cohort just rehashed each week’s news cycle, with throwaways to Johnson’s Trump and Bowen Yang as J.D. Vance featuring the two often just reciting actual statements made along the campaign trail, as if the lunacy of it all couldn’t be made more ridiculous.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025
There’s always been pushback against anti-immigrant lunacy here.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
To suggest that anyone who vaccinates their kids doesn’t love them is a whole new level of lunacy.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lunacy
Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 17 Feb. 2025
Every cold open featuring Harris and her cohort just rehashed each week’s news cycle, with throwaways to Johnson’s Trump and Bowen Yang as J.D. Vance featuring the two often just reciting actual statements made along the campaign trail, as if the lunacy of it all couldn’t be made more ridiculous.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2025
There’s always been pushback against anti-immigrant lunacy here.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
To suggest that anyone who vaccinates their kids doesn’t love them is a whole new level of lunacy.
—Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lunacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lunacy
Noun
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Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan ruled last week that Elkins did kill her children, but was not guilty by reason of insanity, the Ashbury Park Press reported.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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The court ruled that although Elkins did kill her children, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity, the outlet and NBC10 Philadelphia reported.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Sounding the Alarm for Elder Justice The population of older adults is rapidly growing, and one in 10 experience abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation—a risk that is even higher for those living with dementia.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Losing Track of Time or Place People with dementia often become disoriented about time, dates, or locations.—
Brigid Dwyer,
Verywell Health,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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From the foothills of the Berkshires arises a venerable strain of American madness, the poetry of hokum—the old weird America of medicine shows and travelling circuses and carnivals.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
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The chaos has Americans and the world wondering whether there’s a method behind the apparent madness.—
Laurent Belsie,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For much of the call, Mills leaned hard on federal deficit hysteria to justify spending cuts for essential public services his constituents rely on.—
Letters to the editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2025
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But here, Clooney has recast himself as journalistic hero Edward R. Murrow, who in the early 1950s defied U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and his efforts to stoke anti-communist hysteria through the media.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But cuteness adds a touch of whimsical absurdity that further defangs the power hungry.—
Yii-Jan Lin,
The Conversation,
11 Apr. 2025
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But the film, like many of her roles, highlights the absurdity of such divisive social dynamics.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Resembling in color a smooth pebble after heavy rains, the calfskin leather holder has but one compartment and one back pocket — taking it back to the basics and accentuating simplicity.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
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Each jurisdiction is weighing its own trade-offs between administrative simplicity, fiscal integrity, and enforcement capacity.—
Aleksandra Bal,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lunacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lunacy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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