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

Relevance

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
Shilling’s delightfully madcap spirit lives on at Royal Ascot today — in the more experimental hats or elaborate lawn picnics that verge on performance. — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 June 2026 The West Indies overcame Scotland by seven runs and stayed unbeaten at the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup after a madcap match at Headingley on Thursday. — ABC News, 18 June 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
  • The defending champions managed to hold Spain to a draw in the regulation 90 minutes, which ended with combative midfielder Enzo Fernandez being sent off after a reckless challenge in injury time.
    — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 20 July 2026
  • That context is what separates responsible flexibility from reckless convenience.
    — Anand Solanki, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of reckless
Noun
  • Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • The scene was both serious and strange — after all, this was Vegas and a member of the Satanic temple with black devil horns affixed to the top of his head was waiting for his turn on the microphone.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of devil
Adjective
  • In addition to decades of performing his own impossible feats for the sake and sanctity of cinema, Cruise has lately taken to showing off his daredevil talents at sporting events worldwide.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 19 July 2026
  • The daredevil couple, who scaled the building dressed in dark outfits and masks, were each charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief and an additional charge related to the incident.
    — Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 4 July 2026
Definition of daredevil
Noun
  • The cowboy thanks the bartender and rides off into the sunset.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Lean into desert dressing with cowboy-core and micro shorts; embrace your boho dreams in flowy dresses and ruffles; or match the city grit with an oversized leather jacket and low-rise jeans.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Definition of cowboy
Adjective
  • Institutions do not become courageous by hiring courageous people.
    — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • In this scenario, Rogen would emerge as a courageous if idiosyncratic folk hero — one richly rewarded for his stoner fortitude.
    — Peter Bart, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Definition of courageous
Noun
  • Many writers travelled to Jonestown to survey the shambles and determine whether this was a utopian experiment gone astray or a madman’s fever dream destined to fail.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
  • The garages at drag events are full of red-eyed madmen who have sold their houses and chased their wives and children away in pursuit of this.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
Definition of madman
Adjective
  • For the adventurous, there’s the Haulback Challenge rope and bridge course and the Timber Ripper Mountain coaster.
    — Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Of course, the leopard is also a symbol, for example for the Locarno festival’s adventurous approach to cinema.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of adventurous
Adjective
  • This Fire sign reminds us that taking up space and being unapologetically yourself isn’t inherently selfish, and genuine self-expression can be incredibly brave.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
  • For those feeling brave, visit Nestor’s Cave in the Peloponnese region, which was the filming site for the Cyclops sequence.
    — Lea Tran, TheWeek, 29 July 2026
Definition of brave

Browse Nearby Words

madams
madcap
madcaps
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Madcap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madcap. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on madcap

Nglish: Translation of madcap for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All