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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insanity
To make seven — in, like, a nine-year, 10-year, 11-year period — is insanity.
—
Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
To make seven — in, like, a nine-year, ten-year, eleven-year period — is insanity.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Santos will not be released, state Supreme Court Justice Laura Ward told the jury during her instruction.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The moral factor would be enough — if jurors accept it and agree that mental illness caused it — to support his insanity defense.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insanity
Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
To make seven — in, like, a nine-year, ten-year, eleven-year period — is insanity.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026
If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Santos will not be released, state Supreme Court Justice Laura Ward told the jury during her instruction.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2026
The moral factor would be enough — if jurors accept it and agree that mental illness caused it — to support his insanity defense.
—ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insanity
Noun
-
New research suggests that several cups of caffeinated coffee or tea may reduce dementia risk.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Participants in speed training were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The luckiest among us endure these quotidian absurdities indirectly, via news stories and social media feeds, their consequences delayed until sometime in the future.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Undermain Theatre’s production, directed by Stefan Novinski, leans into the 1942 Pulitzer-winning play’s absurdity and its theme of repetitive human folly, starting with Donna Marquet’s busy set design.—
Manuel Mendoza,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sopho derives from the Greek word for wisdom, mania from the Greek word for madness.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
-
With all the madness going on out there, this is exactly the game the world needs right now.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The panic at this potential failure is central to the hysteria over AI.—
Charles Finch,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Mercury retrograde as a moment of mindful interruption rather than collective hysteria.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As to the famous fine line between stupid and clever, the stupidity and the cleverness are all but inextricable, and to the point.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Marco Bellocchio‘s six-episode Italian-language drama is a living nightmare of the past that doubles as an agonizing manifestation of the present — a potent reminder that widespread stupidity isn’t confined to a single time or place.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
California’s Napa Valley is prized for its vineyard views and quiet country roads, which create a relaxed atmosphere that blends rural simplicity with polished sophistication.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Ohtani shortened the name to Decoy for simplicity.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Assertive Community Treatment program sought to find and help treat people suffering from severe mental illness, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Santos, who was 24 at the time of the attacks, has schizophrenia and was homeless, too.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
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Harry and Finis refused to play Jack Donahoe’s game of commenting on every idiocy that came across their desks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insanity. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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