1
as in to bother
to cause to go insane or as if insane
the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to infuriate
to make angry
her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of madden
It’s been maddening to watch a lineup full of high-end hitters come up empty night after night in April, a month that has felt as long as about three.
—
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Thankfully, this beautiful vista isn’t marred by maddening crowds.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
This is the premise of The Exit 8, a Japanese video game made by Kotake Create that, as the millions who played it will attest, turns a commuter’s endless circling into a thrilling, maddening first-person-shooter minus the shooting.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
The science of color is also maddening for the same reason.
—Kory Stamper, Longreads, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madden
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
Thankfully, this beautiful vista isn’t marred by maddening crowds.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
This is the premise of The Exit 8, a Japanese video game made by Kotake Create that, as the millions who played it will attest, turns a commuter’s endless circling into a thrilling, maddening first-person-shooter minus the shooting.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026
The science of color is also maddening for the same reason.
—Kory Stamper, Longreads, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for madden
Verb
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In a funny touch of feminist commentary, the Pounds parents are intent on their bratty son Andrew (Hamnet survivor Jacobi Jupe) getting the best possible education but less bothered about glum daughter Drissila (Evie Templeton).—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
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What bothers him most, however, is the suggestion that neo-soul lacked authenticity or cultural purpose.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Rising gas prices and an unpopular war in Iran have infuriated prominent MAGA figures online, but in terms of GOP elections, the president has been able to elbow out critics in Congress and disobedient legislators in red states.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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Georgia Supreme Court challenger Jen Jordan infuriates Republicans with a new fundraising email.—
Adam Beam,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Mando has a brush with death after unwisely angering the Hutts, who task him with hunting down Jabba's son, Rotta (Jeremy Allen White).—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
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That only angered @msgigggles, who apparently refuses to back down until the extended sizes are available at every Walmart across this great land.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
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Against the photographic realism of Paglen and Burtynsky, a sleeker subset of work risks rendering seductive that which ought to disturb us.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
24 May 2026
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The idea that there can be any kind of misalignment between them, though, disturbs her.—
Cressida Leyshon,
New Yorker,
24 May 2026
Verb
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That change, which postponed the 2025 election to 2026, enraged some residents.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
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The judge rejected the Suffolk District Attorney’s recommendation of 12 years and cut it in half, enraging prosecutors.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Ramírez, half-awake, was confused as to why Pevey wanted to speak with him.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Schoen’s contract extension is confusing at best.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Verb
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That’s what so annoys Erika at some point.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
18 May 2026
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But if creases annoy you, look elsewhere.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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For all their faults, looksmaxxers are intent on de-fetishizing this particular commodity, revealing beauty to be the product of strenuous (and often deranging) labor.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Madden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madden. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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