insane
adjective
in·sane
(ˌ)in-ˈsān 
1
a(1)
dated, now usually offensive
: exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind
(2)
law
: affected with insanity (see insanity sense 2)
criminally insane
b
: unable to think in a clear or sensible way
insane with jealousy
—not used technically
2
now usually offensive
: used by, typical of, or intended for people having a severely disordered state of mind
an insane asylum
3
: absurd
an insane scheme for making money
4
: outrageously high or extreme
making insane amounts of money
The monster truck pursued him at insane speeds …—
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. ThompsonMore than 22,000 athletes descend on Philadelphia's Franklin Field to chug insane amounts of Gatorade …—Chris Ballard
Chris Ballard
also
: exceptionally good or impressive
Minnesota … has blazed out to an insane start, taking an early lead in the Northwest Division. —Tom Wheatley
Tom Wheatley With his rough-edged baritone and ear for insane hooks, [reggae singer] Baby Cham always sounds wicked. —Rob Kenner
Rob Kenner Examples of insane in a Sentence
The murderer was found to be criminally insane.
She was insane with jealousy.
He had an insane look in his eyes.
She likes to drive at insane speeds.
He had this insane idea that he could get rich by selling old computers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stines’ defense attorneys, Jeremy and Kerri Bartley, say the sheriff was insane at the time of the killing and want his full mental health report – which is currently sealed – released to the public.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Making straight men insane comes with the territory on one of TV’s most-talked about shows of the last five years (House of the Dragon continues to rack up toward 10 million viewers per ep).
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
But what’s so insane about this story is that there are so many contrasting elements.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Soto is in the middle of an insane stretch, hitting five home runs in his last five games entering play on Wednesday.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insane
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Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
Making straight men insane comes with the territory on one of TV’s most-talked about shows of the last five years (House of the Dragon continues to rack up toward 10 million viewers per ep).
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
But what’s so insane about this story is that there are so many contrasting elements.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Soto is in the middle of an insane stretch, hitting five home runs in his last five games entering play on Wednesday.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insane
Cite this Entry
“Insane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insane. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insane
adjective
in·sane
(ˈ)in-ˈsān
1
usually offensive
: having or showing a severely disordered state of mind : not sane
—used especially in the past
an insane person
an insane look
2
usually offensive
: used by or for people having a severely disordered state of mind
an insane ward in a hospital
3
: extremely foolish or unreasonable
an insane attempt
insanely
adverb
Medical Definition
insane
adjective
in·sane
(ˈ)in-ˈsān
1
dated, now usually offensive
: exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind
2
law
: affected with insanity (see insanity sense 2)
insanely
adverb
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