unhinged

[ uhn-hinjd ]

adjective

1. having no hinge or hinges, or with the hinges removed:

   an unhinged gate.

2. unsettled, disordered, or distraught:

   He became unhinged when his friend died.

Word History and Origins

Origin of unhinged¹

First recorded in 1710–20; unhinged ( def 1 ) un- ¹ + hinged ( def ); unhinged ( def 2 ) unhinge + -ed ²

Example Sentences

This perfectionist, however, has become unhinged—just how Coupe likes it.

From The Daily Beast

And, increasingly, incumbent Republican Pat Roberts is becoming more and more unhinged.

From The Daily Beast

The New Deal and its excesses proved to be a flashpoint for ideological debates that occasionally came unhinged.

From The Daily Beast

Three-time champ Tony Stewart is reviled—and beloved—for his take-no-prisoners, borderline-unhinged attitude.

From The Daily Beast

Why does the former veep keep saying unhinged things—as he did Monday about Iraq?

From The Daily Beast

Eckland's jaw unhinged and the pencil slid from his limp hand and fell to the floor.

From Project Gutenberg

His mad rabbit hunt and the deafening roar of his gunfire had temporarily unhinged his mind.

From Project Gutenberg

It's only her way of saying that my mind is unhinged and that I ought to be sent to a private hospital for two.

From Project Gutenberg

Sara's mouth had been gradually closing, but it unhinged again.

From Project Gutenberg

It was the face of a man whose unhinged reason was capable of anything but sanity.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• deranged
• disturbed
• manic
• unbalanced