Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

insanity

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of insanity

1 a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life
  • a tormented artistic genius on the brink of insanity
Synonyms of insanity

aberration, derangement, lunacy, madness, mania
Words Related to insanity

neurosis, psychosis

instability, irrationality, unreasonableness

delirium, frenzy, hysteria

paranoia

delusion, hallucination

monomania, obsession, phobia

abnormality, dementedness, unsoundness
Near Antonyms of insanity

lucidity, rationality, rationalness, reasonability, reasonableness

normality, soundness
Antonyms of insanity

mind, saneness, sanity
2 a foolish act or idea
  • His friends thought that his decision to quit his job was pure insanity.
Synonyms of insanity

absurdity, asininity, fatuity, folly, foolery, foppery, idiocy, imbecility, inanity, lunacy, stupidity
Words Related to insanity

absurdness, craziness, foolishness, inaneness, madness, senselessness, witlessness

buffoonery, monkeyshine(s), shenanigan(s), tomfoolery

drivel, humbug, nonsense, twaddle

blunder, bungle, flub, goof, howler
Near Antonyms of insanity

discretion, forethought, prudence, sagacity, wisdom

brainstorm, inspiration
3 lack of good sense or judgment
  • They had the insanity to think that buying lottery tickets would make them rich.
Synonyms of insanity

absurdity, asininity, balminess, brainlessness, craziness, daftness, dippiness, dottiness, fatuity, fatuousness, folly, foolishness, imbecility, inanity, lunacy, madness, nonsensicalness, nuttiness, preposterousness, senselessness, silliness, simplicity, wackiness, witlessness, zaniness
Words Related to insanity

denseness, dim-wittedness, doltishness, dopiness, dullness (also dulness), dumbness, feeblemindedness, idiocy, mindlessness, oafishness, obtuseness, simplemindedness, simpleness, slowness, stupidity, stupidness, vacuity

fallacy, irrationality, unreasonableness

kookiness, weirdness

laughableness, ludicrousness, ridiculousness
Near Antonyms of insanity

logicality, logicalness, rationality, rationalness, reasonability, reasonableness, validity

discernment, insight, perception, percipience
Antonyms of insanity

prudence, sagaciousness, sagacity, sageness, sanity, sapience, sensibleness, soundness, wisdom

Learn More about insanity

  1. See words that rhyme with insanity Dictionary: Definition of insanity Medical Dictionary: Definition of insanity Spanish Central: Translation of insanity Nglish: Translation of insanity for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of insanity for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about insanity

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up insanity? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

traduce

play

to lower or disgrace the reputation of

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. lowlife 'a person of low moral character'

  2. kakistocracy 'government by the worst people'

  3. slimeball 'a morally repulsive or odious person'

  4. salacious 'arousing or appealing to sexual desire'

  5. oligarch 'government in which a small group exercises control'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image236659401
Words from Letters in the Greek Alphabet

When English borrows from another alphabet

alt-5ada140ed3e28
'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

Why not both?

alt-5ad8fc71357ed
Words We're Watching: 'Bluebeard,' the Verb

No, it's not a coiffure trend

alt-5ad8d3361fb97
Where 'Cliff-hangers' Come From

You're on the edge of your seat

Ask the Editors

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

image1926873504
Odd Habits and Quirks Quiz

Test your knowledge of strange human behaviors.

Take the quiz
cats-on-impossible-timber
More Confusing Words—Quiz

How many of these commonly confused words do you know?

Take the quiz
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game