1
as in dementia
a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life
his incurable insanity requires that he spend the rest of his life in a mental hospital
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absurdity
a foolish act or idea
everyone laughed at the latest insanity from the town eccentric
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
had the insanity to think that taking over a government building in protest of our foreign policy was a good idea
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insanity
Johnson, elevated to office by chaos forces—insanity and murder—seeks to finally be accepted not as the understudy but as the ramrod patrician who can set the nation righter than before.
—
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
My first real foray into this insanity was at the Golden Door in Australia.
—Bruna Papandrea, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
Pursuant to a judge’s order, Stith was found guilty of murder, then not guilty by reason of insanity, then sentenced last January, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
Walter refused to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insanity
Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
My first real foray into this insanity was at the Golden Door in Australia.
—Bruna Papandrea, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2025
Pursuant to a judge’s order, Stith was found guilty of murder, then not guilty by reason of insanity, then sentenced last January, court records show.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
Walter refused to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for insanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insanity
Noun
-
Due to his battle with dementia, Wilson was placed under a conservatorship in February 2024, weeks after the death of his wife, Melinda Ledbetter Wilson.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
-
Fannie’s Friends support group: Fannie’s Friends is a virtual support group for adult daughters and granddaughters caring for those living with dementia.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Mika Rottenberg’s work explores the pure absurdities of our current world.—
Nargess Banks,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
-
These over-the-top moments and the absurdity of its title may be the elements that made Zombi 2 famous, but beneath them is a movie with an eerie, uncanny vibe that's shockingly easy to get lost in.—
James Grebey,
Time,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Eight is a cursed number, and this is the eighth day of madness.—
Fatemeh Shams
June 30,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
-
Lee’s sensitive, evolving turn as Gi-hun — deeply human amid the madness, paranoia and murder set in bright green and pink surroundings — has made the character the ideal litmus test for Hwang’s critique of an economic system designed to produce titanic winners and losers who face annihilation.—
Michael Ordoña,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
For the past few days, though, the internet has been gripped with Monterrey wall fever, the kind of mass hysteria that can really only take hold during the long, delirious advance of a summer tournament.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
-
Trump’s ‘smoke and mirrors’ But the government has not signaled any sense of hysteria about Trump’s decision to hold off on a strike on Iran for two weeks.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
Critics often assume ego, stubbornness, or simply stupidity.—
Robert Pearl,
Twin Cities,
14 June 2025
-
The following program will contain graphic stupidity, as four friends compete to embarrass one another – only this time in Lithuania.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
To stand and hold a place in simplicity is one of the most difficult things for any performer to do.—
Guillermo Perez,
Miami Herald,
3 July 2025
-
With clean lines and monochromatic color schemes, minimalist bedrooms offer serenity through simplicity.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Recent research has looked at its potential benefits, in very low doses, for treatment of depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
23 June 2025
-
This policy is particularly dangerous for people living with schizophrenia, a condition that can profoundly impair a person’s ability to function in daily life.—
Carali McLean,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insanity. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share