madcap 1 of 2

adjective

ˈmad-ˌkap How to pronounce madcap (audio)
Definition of madcapnext
as in reckless
foolishly adventurous or bold a madcap scheme to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

madcap

2 of 2

noun

ˈmad-ˌkap How to pronounce madcap (audio)
as in devil
a person who seeks out very dangerous or foolhardy adventures with no apparent fear an incorrigible madcap who loves drag racing and white-water rafting

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 madcap
Adjective
Her latest novel, set against the backdrop of Britain’s collective postwar trauma, is also a workplace comedy and a madcap spy thriller. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026 The show is leaning into its strengths, dialing up the madcap comedy and overlapping dialogue while keeping the story lines rooted in recognizable rites of passage for young people. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
The fare isn’t noteworthy or unique, except for the onion soup with its madcap, enormous puff pastry lid. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 New reads abound for your vacation tote throughout the weeks of July, with fiction picks featuring a Carnival cruise casualty, a highly entertaining jewel heist at the Waldorf-Astoria, and a Soviet-era madcap adventure. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for madcap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for madcap
  1. reckless
  2. devil
  3. daredevil
  4. cowboy
  5. courageous
  6. madman
  7. adventurous
  8. brave
Adjective
  • Van Lemaster, 88, was booked into the Larimer County Jail on charges of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and reckless endangerment on Friday.
    — Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In 2016, Zelich pled guilty to first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Gamez and one count of hiding a corpse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of reckless
Noun
  • In Jennifer’s Body, Needy (Seyfried) is BFFs with the titular mean girl played by Fox, whose body becomes possessed by a succubus with a taste for teen boys after a botched sacrifice by a devil-worshipping boy band (led by Adam Brody).
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Behave yourself, buddy, or the little red devil will take you away!
    — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of devil
Adjective
  • Gortner also starred with Lynda Carter in Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976), appeared in the daredevil biopic Viva Knievel!
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Prince Harry went skydiving near Toronto on Friday, but the daredevil move wasn't just for fun.
    — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of daredevil
Noun
  • Once a staple among cowboys and railroad workers, the Lee 101 became a symbol of youth rebellion in the 1950s, when James Dean popularized the jeans and helped solidify their association with biker culture.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • In the late aughts, the futuristic cowboys of Mexico’s tribal guarachero boom launched superstars like 3BallMTY and Erick Rincón, laying the percussive foundation for Colombia’s guaracha takeover of the following decade and breakouts like Fumaratto.
    — Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of cowboy
Adjective
  • As with any courageous statement, acceptance is rarely unanimous.
    — Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Sadly, sports reformers across the country have abandoned the hard work of courageous whistleblowers, such as Bensel-Meyers, and now sing the tune of college athlete compensation.
    — Bruce Svare, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of courageous
Noun
  • His act of compassion turns the town against them, casting Carlos as a madman and Bobi as a monster and setting them on a devastating path toward violence.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing’s really changed except the weather and the fact that more madmen have the keys to the kingdom.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of madman
Adjective
  • Anita recalled her grandson’s adventurous upbringing and his relationship with God.
    — Marisela Cruz, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • This gift box contains eight bars, spanning from 58 to 80% cacao, in flavors like banana foster and green tea crunch for the adventurous and pink sea salt or pure cacao, dates, and vanilla for the purists.
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of adventurous
Adjective
  • One fascination of this brave book—brave in its disclosures but more so in its demands, its spiritual rigor, and its ardent intellectualism—lies in watching the eloquent, intelligent sufferer steadily entrapping herself.
    — James Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Prioritizing oneself is something Ariana Grande has been brave about as well, with Grande perhaps the poster child for the biggest mental health story of the year.
    — Rob LeDonne, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of brave

Browse Nearby Words

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madcap
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Cite this Entry

“Madcap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madcap. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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