demented
Americanadjective
-
crazy; insane; mad.
- Synonyms:
- unbalanced, deranged, crazed, lunatic
-
affected with dementia.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- dementedly adverb
- dementedness noun
- half-demented adjective
- semidemented adjective
Etymology
Origin of demented
Explanation
Demented is an adjective describing behavior that is crazy, unhinged, or insane. Someone is demented when they have gone off the deep end. Demented literally means "suffering from dementia," although in current culture it is used quite often to tease a sibling or good friend: "My brother thinks I am demented because I like to eat peanut butter and salami sandwiches."
Vocabulary lists containing demented
Speak
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The Pigman
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"Roller Girl" by Victoria Jamieson
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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.
“The Pit and the Pendulum,” the first half of the program, translates especially well to this setting, its dark sense of demented confinement keeping my nerves on high alert.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Myers makes the most of one of the musical’s most beloved numbers, “Not While I’m Around,” Tobias’ duet with Mrs. Lovett that both performers bring to poignant, demented life.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026
Sam Neill stars in “Madness” as an insurance investigator who, sent to find a missing, bestselling horror author, ends up stumbling into the demented New England small town of the author’s books.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025
It’s just another weekly edition of “SmackDown” in Don’s demented mind.
From Salon • Aug. 1, 2025
He didn’t look angry or demented, just sort of discombobulated.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
