lunacy

noun

lu·​na·​cy ˈlü-nə-sē How to pronounce lunacy (audio)
plural lunacies
1
dated
b
: intermittent insanity once believed to be related to phases of the moon
2
: wild foolishness : extravagant folly
3
: a foolish act

Examples of lunacy in a Sentence

Quitting her job was lunacy. His idea was considered total lunacy.
Recent Examples on the Web Torres is more or less the straight man, as Alejandro endures Elizabeth’s all-over-the-map lunacy. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, the whole cycle was algorithmically amplified on social media, which is where most of us got wind of the lunacy. Keith Kloor, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2024 Needless to say, the argument is absurd and reflects the combination of lunacy and cynicism of those promoting it. Nr Editors, National Review, 2 Feb. 2024 While her character was less developed than the others, Ms. Randolph was revered by aficionados as the last living link to the inspired lunacy of a show that had a cultlike following, with fan clubs, esoteric trivia contests and memorabilia sales. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2024 Nothing was going right: nobody had jobs and there were strikes every day and food shortages and super-sensational murders and politicians accusing one another of all sorts of lunacies. Junot Díaz, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 As a documentary subject, free diving has the death-defying lunacy of big-wave surfing and the cosmopolitan appeal of Formula 1. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2023 As a competitive sport, free diving has the death-defying lunacy of big-wave surfing and the cosmopolitan appeal of Formula One (gorgeous people, competitions in exotic locations). Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 July 2023 The only thing missing from the Tundra's lineup is a direct competitor that answers the lunacy of the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX. Austin Irwin, Car and Driver, 12 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lunacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

lunatic

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of lunacy was in 1541

Dictionary Entries Near lunacy

Cite this Entry

“Lunacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lunacy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lunacy

noun
lu·​na·​cy ˈlü-nə-sē How to pronounce lunacy (audio)
plural lunacies
: insanity sense 1
used chiefly in the past

Medical Definition

lunacy

noun
lu·​na·​cy ˈlü-nə-sē How to pronounce lunacy (audio)
plural lunacies
dated
: mental illness
also : intermittent mental illness once believed to be related to phases of the moon

Legal Definition

lunacy

noun
lu·​na·​cy ˈlü-nə-sē How to pronounce lunacy (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on lunacy

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