1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
you want to sneak into the building after the alarm is set—what lunacy!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dementia
a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life
the judge ruled that the lunacy of the accused made him incompetent to stand trial
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
was it desperation or lunacy that caused him to quit his job and move to California without any plan for what to do when he got there?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lunacy
As the protagonist consumed by an obsessive need to clean, Jan Hooks evokes Tennessee Williams heroine lunacy.
—
The New York Times, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The cast try their best to keep up with such lunacy.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
The sheer quantity of extremist marketing lunacy churned out by Old State Saloon in Eagle is astonishing.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 10 Jan. 2025
His endeavor might sound like lunacy to most people — a country, on a barge, in international waters, with guns?
—Atossa Araxia Abrahamian Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lunacy
The New York Times, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025
The cast try their best to keep up with such lunacy.
—Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 16 Jan. 2025
The sheer quantity of extremist marketing lunacy churned out by Old State Saloon in Eagle is astonishing.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 10 Jan. 2025
His endeavor might sound like lunacy to most people — a country, on a barge, in international waters, with guns?
—Atossa Araxia Abrahamian Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lunacy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lunacy
Noun
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As part of an agreement between defense and prosecuting attorneys, 35-year-old Bryson Levy was found not guilty by reason of insanity on Feb. 4.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
9 May 2025
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Dominguez has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the stabbings two years ago that killed David Breaux, 50, and Karim Abou Najm, 20, as well as the near-fatal attack on Guillory.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Be smart: Keeping your brain on its toes, so to speak, can help prevent dementia.—
Carly Mallenbaum,
Axios,
7 May 2025
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Social isolation is a leading risk factor for a wide range of serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.—
Rob Simmelkjaer,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2025
Noun
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And, last weekend, in the midst of Met Gala madness, the four iconic artist-entrepreneurs were reunited at the show’s 20th anniversary.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
14 May 2025
-
In some Asian and Middle Eastern traditions, dementia was historically associated with madness or idiocy.—
Marion Renault,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2025
Noun
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The White House has cited legislation passed during the peak of the nation’s Cold War hysteria, like the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952, which expanded the government’s deportation powers.—
Rick Baldoz,
The Conversation,
30 Apr. 2025
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The rumors stem from the discoveries of eight bodies across Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts between March and April, fueling hysteria of a potential New England serial killer on Facebook, TikTok and other social media.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Part of what makes Robinson’s Netflix show so consistently hilarious is the way his characters double down on the wrong reaction, turn minor fixations into all-consuming obsessions, escalate their anger to overthrow a situation’s over-the-top absurdity.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2025
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Travel & Experiences First look: Universal’s Epic Universe gives Disney theme parks a run for their money April 9, 2025 There’s occasionally an absurdity in interactive fiction.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2025
Noun
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The simplicity of pressure washing leads many to dismiss it as a side hustle rather than a scalable business.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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For minimalist interior designers, there’s beauty in simplicity and restraint.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lunacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lunacy. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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