madness

noun

ˈmad-nəs How to pronounce madness (audio)
Definition of madnessnext
1
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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2
as in simplicity
lack of good sense or judgment to do something so reckless would be sheer madness

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3
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 As currents floated the ship north and tugboats struggled to drag it to port, the thousands of people aboard descended into filth, madness, and worse. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 17 July 2026 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB shares his method behind the madness. — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026 Neill plays Mark in director Andrzej Żuławski’s fearless study of madness, opposite the incredible Isabelle Adjani as his increasingly disturbed wife, Anna. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026 Dalishus’ wife rushed over the barrier and into the ring to try to stop the madness. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for madness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for madness
  1. insanity
  2. simplicity
  3. anger
  4. dementia
  5. craziness
  6. indignation
  7. hysteria
  8. rage
Noun
  • This case involved a client who, after years of competency litigation, was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state forensic hospital.
    — Schnelle Tonge, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026
  • This is reaching the level of insanity in the state of Georgia.
    — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • Unlike trends that involve shoving one pastry into another, salt bread’s virality is rooted in simplicity, capturing attention with little other than butter and a bit of salt.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 19 July 2026
  • Platformization and simplicity drive cybersecurity buyers, and organizations with an appetite for new companies are often looking to complete their platform capabilities.
    — Rohit Dhamankar, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • The quick exit has led to a reckoning within South Korea's football world — fueled by intense anger over accusations of favoritism and cronyism involved in the appointment of coach Hong Myung-bo.
    — Juliana Kim, NPR, 16 July 2026
  • Welcome to the strange phenomenon of people expressing anger or helplessness to online content creators or writers who don’t acknowledge their specific lifestyles or limitations.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of anger
Noun
  • Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases, can progress through three main stages.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 21 July 2026
  • Butter and Margarine Findings presented at Nutrition 2023 showed that people who consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a day had a 28% lower risk of dying from dementia than peers who rarely used it.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
Definition of dementia
Noun
  • Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, 1982 Before the kids, the craziness and the reality show, the head-over-heels Brits tied the knot in Maui, Hawaii.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026
  • The forecast for Thursday calls for craziness.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of craziness
Noun
  • Mind you, Miss Manners agrees with your indignation at this fraudulent maneuver.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 21 July 2026
  • And Anne Hathaway, in a bravura performance, situates Penelope on an emotional precipice, caught between indecision and indignation, between yearning for her husband and a palpable disgust with the alternatives.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of indignation
Noun
  • Elon Musk continues to rage over Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which defied online hysteria from the right and broke box office records in its first days in theaters.
    — Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2026
  • The hysteria often comes with a fat dollop of Trumpian imperiousness, not requesting your engagement so much as demanding it.
    — Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Definition of hysteria
Noun
  • What instrument could be a more natural choice to express a profound sense of rage, angst, and uncertainty?
    — Lawrence Burney, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
  • When Claudia’s ghost rips into Louis and Lestat with a miasma of rage and despair, Anderson and Reid’s eyes search for each other across the room, reflecting the unexpected agony of this experience and the regret of putting Claudia through this.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of rage

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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on madness

Nglish: Translation of madness for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about madness

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