madness
Americannoun
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the state of being mad; insanity.
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senseless folly.
It is sheer madness to speak as you do.
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frenzy; rage.
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intense excitement or enthusiasm.
noun
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insanity; lunacy
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extreme anger, excitement, or foolishness
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a nontechnical word for rabies
Other Word Forms
- premadness noun
Etymology
Origin of madness
First recorded in 1350–1400, madness is from the Middle English word madnesse. See mad, -ness
Explanation
Madness is foolish, impulsive behavior. It would be madness to ride on the back of your friend's car, standing on the bumper. A screaming crowd waiting to see their favorite rock star creates an atmosphere of madness — and their enthusiasm itself can be described as madness. You could also say that donating all your money to an animal shelter would be madness, or describe the madness of a busy Thanksgiving Day sale. Madness sometimes takes on its original meaning, "mental instability" or "insanity."
Vocabulary lists containing madness
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many people thought it was madness, but Ivo, convinced of his decision, packed everything into a small truck and drove nine hours with his son to Belo Horizonte.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
That he didn’t just crush the egg and spit it out is testament either to his dedication or his madness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Donning my academic editor title, I imagined myself tasked with the act of tidying, turning teenage madness, drama, beauty into writing that is still dramatic and beautiful—just grammatically correct.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026
This ruling offers a temporary reprieve from the madness, but I’m afraid the damage has already been done.
From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026
The skeptics would call it madness or worse, while the people who believed me might see the possession as a moral failing.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
