unhinged

adjective

un·​hinged ˌən-ˈhinjd 

: highly disturbed, unstable, or distraught

attacked by an unhinged extremist

Somewhere along the way, her pursuit of a hot guy turned into unhinged obsession.

—Cosmopolitan

"Is this a new brand of humour? Or is your brain really unhinged?" inquired Tommy.

—Agatha Christie

see also unhinge

Synonyms of unhinged

• psychotic
• insane
• mad
• maniacal
• crazy
• mental

Examples of unhinged in a Sentence

destined to become one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, he apparently became unhinged as a result of being abandoned as a young teen

Recent Examples on the Web

The time has come to accept that one’s voice might be fractured, imperfect, cacophonous and a bit unhinged. —Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026

Playing the charmingly unhinged Ingrid, an internet stalker of the highest order, Aubrey Plaza doesn't hit a false note. —Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026

The contract reference triggers Lindsay’s memories of her infamous timeline, giving us a great throwback to her more unhinged days before becoming Mother Hubbard. —Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026

Is there genuinely no limit to what Republicans will allow this unhinged, unwell man to do? —Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unhinged

• cringed
• fringed
• hinged
• singed
• impinged
• infringed