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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Satin finish, soft glow Much like the origins of the mochi skin concept, the mochi skin aesthetic is rooted in the Japanese approach to beauty, where simplicity and radiance take center stage.

— Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
That process has been in place for over three decades, and Brazilians have become accustomed to its speed, simplicity, accuracy and routine.

— Solly Boussidan, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of simplicity

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

Week 7 of the 2026 college football season will go down as one of the most chaotic ever, with five Top 10 teams suffering losses, and the newest AP Top 25 Poll reflects the craziness that unfolded.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
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

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

Browse Nearby Words

mad money

madness

madras

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Madness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madness. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of madness

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on madness

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

milieu

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes