madness

noun

mad·​ness ˈmad-nəs 

1

: the quality or state of being mad: such as

a

: a state of severe mental illness

—not used technically

… fortifications against an inner darkness, the threat of madness that crouched above him throughout his life.

—Robert F. Moss

b

: behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous : extreme folly

an idea that is pure/sheer madness

c

: ecstasy, enthusiasm

d

: intense anger : rage

2

: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior

specifically : rabies

Synonyms

• aberration
• dementia
• derangement
• insanity
• lunacy
• mania
• rage [archaic]

Examples of madness in a Sentence

He suffered a series of tragedies that nearly drove him to madness.

Her friends told her the idea was pure madness, but she went through with it anyway.

It was the height of madness for him to drive at such high speeds!

Recent Examples on the Web

The eventual big night is just the beginning of the madness — including a climactic, massive spell of food poisoning. —Devin Lotfi, IndieWire, 22 July 2024

There were, to be fair, some lasting musical memories for me from those three days of madness at Woodstock ’99. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 19 July 2024

That album was about Mexico City—growing up in a huge urban center of madness, chaos, and noise. —Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 15 July 2024

Apparently, political assassinations often turn out to have been perpetrated by individuals whose madness intersected politics only accidentally. —Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 14 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing madness

• (a) method in/to one's madness

Medical Definition

madness

noun

mad·​ness ˈmad-nəs 

1

: a severely disordered state of mind

—not used technically

2

: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior

specifically : rabies