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
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insanity
The killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and it’s still not known exactly why Allen was targeted.
—
Brianne Tracy, People.com, 2 May 2025
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025
Dominguez has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to killing two people and grievously wounding a third over the space of five days in April and May 2023.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
However, on April 18, a judge in Fulton County Superior Court dropped the charges against Calabrese-Lewis, ordering that she should be declared not guilty by reason of insanity, citing her mental illness, according to the filing obtained by PEOPLE.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insanity
Brianne Tracy, People.com, 2 May 2025
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2025
Dominguez has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to killing two people and grievously wounding a third over the space of five days in April and May 2023.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
However, on April 18, a judge in Fulton County Superior Court dropped the charges against Calabrese-Lewis, ordering that she should be declared not guilty by reason of insanity, citing her mental illness, according to the filing obtained by PEOPLE.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insanity
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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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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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
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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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Tiny terror is unleashed in this mini alien apocalypse as directors Robert Bisi and Andy Lyon pay loving tribute to classic sci-fi stories of alien invasion and human stupidity using tilt-shift techniques that make the end of the world look almost cute.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
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Wodehouse had displayed nothing worse than the stupidity of the innocent.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The simplicity of getting your feet wet with these tools means that most of your time will be spent dealing with a company's security and compliance teams.—
Jeff Catlin,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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So perhaps the clearest difference between the final months of O’Neil and the early months of Pereira has been simplicity.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Noun
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For the past 14 years, Palafox has served as private conservator to her son, deemed gravely disabled by schizophrenia that took hold in his early 20s.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
5 May 2025
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Related article ‘This ain’t your mother’s marijuana’: Surgeon General warns pregnant women and youth about pot risks Young people who use marijuana are more likely to develop long-lasting mental disorders, including depression, social anxiety and schizophrenia, and drop out of school, the CDC said.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insanity. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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