lunatic

adjective

lu·na·tic | \ˈlü-nə-ˌtik

Definition of lunatic

1 dated

a : affected with a severely disordered state of mind : insane

b : designed for the care of mentally ill people a lunatic asylum

2 : wildly foolish a lunatic idea lunatic behavior

Other Words from lunatic Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about lunatic

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of lunatic in a Sentence

He hatched a lunatic plot to overthrow the government. another of his lunatic ideas

Recent Examples on the Web

The indelible writer, actress, lunatic cabaret star and occasional solo performer Erin Markey comes to the Bushwick Starr with a two-hander, co-starring her friend Emily Davis. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, "11 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 17 May 2018 Amanda Peet says her house often resembles a lunatic asylum. — Jessica Gelt, latimes.com, "Amanda Peet, playwright: How the actress became the author of the Geffen's upcoming premiere," 13 June 2018 Nick Drnaso's new graphic novel, Sabrina (Drawn & Quarterly), is a subtle, heart-wrenching, multifaceted look at loneliness and loss in our lunatic asylum of a country and an impressive follow-up to his 2016 debut, Beverly. — Mark Peters, Chicago Reader, "Nick Drnaso’s second graphic novel, Sabrina, examines the perils of living too long in your own head," 22 May 2018 Only a minute remained of the second leg of this Champions League semifinal, sixty more seconds after three frantic, chaotic, lunatic hours of soccer over two games. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "Champions League: Liverpool Ousts Roma in Loss That Doubles as a Triumph," 2 May 2018 The indelible writer, actress, lunatic cabaret star and occasional solo performer Erin Markey comes to the Bushwick Starr with a play for two, co-starring her friend Emily Davis. — Alexis Soloski, New York Times, "9 Plays and Musicals to Go to in N.Y.C. This Weekend," 10 May 2018 Argentina’s economy had been battered by the lunatic policies of a succession of populist governments. — The Economist, "Argentina’s economic woes," 10 May 2018 Washington captures the character's hesitancy and doubt along with his lunatic conviction. — Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, "A revelatory Denzel Washington in 'The Iceman Cometh'," 10 May 2018 The entire thing needs to play out in high definition, week after lunatic week, loud and in living color. — SI.com, "In Oakland, Jon Gruden Is Ready to Grind," 19 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lunatic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.