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
Relevance
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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lunacy
Because it's invariably attached to the idea of some kind of lunacy.
—
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2025
Yang is genius not just for playing the easy pickins of George Santos but high-concept lunacy like a gay oompaloompa and the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.
—Steven Zeitch, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Rooker unsurprisingly embraces the lunacy of his character, who dresses in Native American drag and tastes bird poop to track his prey.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2025
Ultimately the inevitable showdown between Hutch and the Queen Bee that Stone embodies also works, not just for the inventive bloodletting, but also the LOL lunacy of it all.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lunacy
Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2025
Yang is genius not just for playing the easy pickins of George Santos but high-concept lunacy like a gay oompaloompa and the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.
—Steven Zeitch, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
Rooker unsurprisingly embraces the lunacy of his character, who dresses in Native American drag and tastes bird poop to track his prey.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2025
Ultimately the inevitable showdown between Hutch and the Queen Bee that Stone embodies also works, not just for the inventive bloodletting, but also the LOL lunacy of it all.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lunacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lunacy
Noun
-
The man charged in a 2023 shooting that killed a pregnant Seattle woman and her unborn baby has been found not guilty by reason of insanity.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The mere decision to embark on such an endeavor takes bravery and maybe a little insanity.—
Thomas Floyd,
Washington Post,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The movie star, who retired from acting in 2022 and was diagnosed the following year with frontotemporal dementia, turned 71 on March 19.—
Roberta Mercuri,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
-
One study of 300,000 people found that greater muscle mass was associated with a lower risk of dementia, Wood says.—
Holly Haber,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The alien-baiting of fifteen years ago was an aftermath of the war madness, a symptom of general postwar uneasiness and disorientation.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The UConn men and women have created countless memories through the madness of March and onto the championships won in April.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a heartwarming idiocy to their pursuit, yet what festers underneath is their inability to process grief consciously and the fear that those who deem their existence meaningless might be right.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Gunther and Tig are two billionaire failsons who have wasted countless opportunities and cash chasing the stupidest ideas and who get rewarded over and over again for their idiocy.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But thanks to the postwar anti-alien hysteria and the deportation laws enacted during and soon after the First World War, the island’s business has become the expulsion of foreigners.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Cofflin said the hysteria the sprinkler ordinance has generated has been the result of a lack of understanding of the requirements.—
J.K. Dineen,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Shatner deftly presents Kirk's delicate handling of interstellar trader Cyrano Jones's multiplying annoyances with a gentle humor and relaxed resignation as to the absurdity of the situation aboard the Enterprise.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The Diesel version of the joke leaned into the absurdity of casting the action star of the Fast and Furious franchise in a family comedy.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fishy Fishy, a longtime staple, stays faithful to what’s just come off the boat, while Catch of the Day turns a waterfront food truck into a lesson in simplicity done right.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Choice Home Warranty focuses on simplicity with two plans and is a more budget-friendly option for essential coverage.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After Thursday night’s Charlotte craziness, in which both ACC Tournament quarterfinals in the evening session were decided by a single point, Friday night instead brought back-to-back blowouts, as Virginia rolled past Miami in the first game.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Mullins has seen just about all of it by now, national games at neutral sites, craziness at Gampel and in Hartford, the most intimidating of environments on the road at Kansas, Creighton, and the Big East Tournament.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lunacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lunacy. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
