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
Robert F. Moss
b
: behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous : extreme folly
an idea that is pure/sheer madness
c
d
: intense anger : rage
2
: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior
specifically
: rabies
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
Let the madness begin Here are 4 things to know at the start of the March Madness and the journey to the Final Four.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Stern writes with a manic whirl of comic images and sentences and ideas that are disturbing and hilarious and sometimes grim, all of the madness carefully, delicately constructed.
—Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
The three titular Debras (Sandy Honig, Mitra Jouhari, and Alyssa Stonoha) live in the fake town of Lemoncurd, where their antics are absorbed into a larger background of silly madness.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Both its French and English versions use simple clear language to make devastating points about how quickly society can disintegrate into bellowing madness.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madness
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Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 19 Mar. 2026
Stern writes with a manic whirl of comic images and sentences and ideas that are disturbing and hilarious and sometimes grim, all of the madness carefully, delicately constructed.
—Cathleen Schine, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026
The three titular Debras (Sandy Honig, Mitra Jouhari, and Alyssa Stonoha) live in the fake town of Lemoncurd, where their antics are absorbed into a larger background of silly madness.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Both its French and English versions use simple clear language to make devastating points about how quickly society can disintegrate into bellowing madness.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madness
Cite this Entry
“Madness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/madness. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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