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 of madness

• insanity
• dementia
• hysteria
• schizophrenia

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

In college basketball, teams were anticipating the potential for madness this summer, so leaving one or two spots open for an occasion like this was a tad easier to navigate for the sport compared to football. — Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Oh, and do it all with the focus that all of this madness will be theoretically exploited on the track, even if that’s not always the case. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 6 Aug. 2026

The Giants’ 5-1 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday, powered by two homers from Jung Hoo Lee and a strong start from Logan Webb, was secondary to the madness that preceded it. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2026

As in seasons past, episodes will explore the motives potentially lying behind the accused’s madness. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing madness

• (a) method in/to one's madness

Rhymes for madness

• badness
• gladness
• sadness

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