MADNESS Synonyms: 188 Similar and Opposite Words

madness

noun

ˈmad-nəs

Definition of madness

as in insanity

a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life nowadays certain forms of madness are quite treatable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in simplicity

lack of good sense or judgment to do something so reckless would be sheer madness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in anger

an intense emotional state of displeasure with someone or something her incessant insults goaded him to such madness that he would storm around breaking dishes and slamming doors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 madness This being Dodge, of course, the AWD is optional and can be shut off at will when the driver prefers rear-wheel madness. — New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026 Gold joined the show in Season 2, just as muppet madness was really taking off. — K.j. Yossman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026 The shuffling of teams in the Week 6 AP Poll reflects the madness that unfolded, including Georgia picking up arguably the most impressive win of the season after taking down Alabama in Tuscaloosa. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026 Zosia Mamet, Jason Schwartzman, Chris O’Dowd, Billie Lourd, and Will Price flit in and out of the picture, some trying to act as the voices of reason and others cheering on the madness. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for madness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for madness

Noun

That sentence would have sounded like insanity a few decades ago, but in the strange world of Hollywood in the 2020s, weirder might really be better.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
So this is just a build-up, and there is such insanity coming.

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of insanity

Noun

We are connected across continents in milliseconds, but too often separated by fear, anger, and mistrust.

— Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
For property owners who poured their life savings into Camelot, the arrival of heavy machinery brings mounting anger over how local authorities handled the complex's long, troubled decline.

— La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of anger

Noun

Other symptoms include mild dementia that involves short-term memory loss, a lack of interest in daily activities and difficulty completing routine tasks.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
As a final demonstration of this approach’s promise, the researchers designed zinc proteases that could target proteins associated with neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dementia

Noun

Use these Prime Day leftovers as a chance to restock cleaning essentials before the holiday hosting craziness begins.

— Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
Jacksonville has a successful Triple-A franchise, the Jumbo Shrimp, that won its league last year, bringing fun theme nights, quirky mascots and between-inning craziness.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of craziness

Noun

Like its first season, season two of The Lowdown follows Ethan Hawke as Lee Raybon, a freelance journalist and bookstore owner in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a nose for trouble and a hefty dose of quixotic, self-righteous moral indignation.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Along with his signature rapid-fire, garrulous dialogue, Sorkin’s tendency for self-righteous indignation is very much in evidence.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of indignation

Noun

The Beatles, not yet known in America, were already inspiring hysteria across England.

— Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Unfortunately, Shakespeare never actually visited Venice; and scholars now recognise that Shylock’s character is more a reflection of anti-Jewish hysteria in early seventeenth-century London than anything that was going on in Italy at that time.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of hysteria

Noun

Platte County prosecutors have charged Brian David Martin with first-degree involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action in what appears to be a road-rage incident that ended in a fatal crash.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026
The hackneyed ruminations on feminine style are punctured by an image of violent female rage.

— Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of rage

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mad money

madness

madras

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“Madness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madness. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of madness

noun

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