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

• 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

And yet this exhaustive chronicle of movie madness also asks if a flop can sometimes be a good thing, proving that artistic freedom still exists in an industry that keeps trying to remove it from the formula. —Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025

Worries over aging, about people sweating you for your creative choices, or hoping for words of wisdom to decode the world’s madness, seem like triggers Byrne might well have. —Will Hermes, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2025

And a bit of Saturday madness, granted most of that came 400 miles away. —Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025

Below, a trailer featuring all the madness Labubu brings to South Park. —Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025

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