unhinged

adjective

un·​hinged ˌən-ˈhinjd 

: highly disturbed, unstable, or distraught

attacked by an unhinged extremist

Somewhere along the way, her pursuit of a hot guy turned into unhinged obsession.

—Cosmopolitan

"Is this a new brand of humour? Or is your brain really unhinged?" inquired Tommy.

—Agatha Christie

see also unhinge

Synonyms of unhinged

• psychotic
• insane
• mad
• maniacal
• crazy
• mental

Examples of unhinged in a Sentence

destined to become one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, he apparently became unhinged as a result of being abandoned as a young teen

Recent Examples on the Web

Watching her in Congress is like scrolling through the Facebook feed of the auntie who fires off unhinged political rants. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

An unhinged man was arrested after throwing a cell phone at a baby in a stroller and her mother, too, near Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday. — Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 18 July 2026

The New Zealander drew international acclaim for roles as gruff loners and unhinged villains. — Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 13 July 2026

That epithet is more unhinged than any of the examples the Tribune Editorial Board gives in the editorial. — Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unhinged

• cringed
• fringed
• hinged
• singed
• impinged
• infringed