madden

verb

mad·​den ˈma-dᵊn 

maddened; maddening ˈmad-niŋ 

ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to become or act as if mad

transitive verb

1

: to disturb or drive mad

2

: to make intensely angry : enrage

Synonyms of madden

• bother
• frenzy
• disturb
• confuse
• derange
• unbalance
• distract
• upset
• annoy
• craze
• unsettle
• crack
• unhinge

Examples of madden in a Sentence

the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers

her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end

Recent Examples on the Web

Derrick Brown Panthers defensive lineman Now comes another chance for Carolina (3-3) to get well against Green Bay (4-3), which has sported the same sort of maddening inconsistency as the Panthers. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2026

There’s no app to download and no maddening hold music to endure. — Amanda McGuckin Hager, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

In an alternate-history 1904, America is still only thirteen colonies, due to the dark forces of maddening angels that warp humans’ minds and bodies. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Braves third baseman Austin Riley, maddened by a campaign littered with letdowns, got his rewrite. — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for madden

• gladden
• hadden
• sadden
• aladdin
• coumadin

Kids Definition

madden

verb

mad·​den ˈmad-ᵊn 

: to make mad : enrage