insane
Americanadjective
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(not in technical use as a medical diagnosis) not sane; not of sound mind; mentally deranged.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of a person who is mentally deranged.
a wild and insane look on her face.
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Law. considered to be or to have been affected with insanity, and therefore lacking legal responsibility or legal capacity.
The judge deemed him criminally insane on the basis of his delusions and hallucinations.
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temporarily unable to think clearly.
I think I'm going insane from all the noise outside.
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utterly senseless.
an insane plan.
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Slang. excessive or extravagant; extreme.
This much snow in April is just insane!
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Slang. astonishingly great; wonderful.
Without his insane performance, the film would've been a total flop.
adjective
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mentally deranged; crazy; of unsound mind
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( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the insane
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characteristic of a person of unsound mind
an insane stare
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irresponsible; very foolish; stupid
Related Words
See mad.
Other Word Forms
- insanely adverb
- insaneness noun
- pseudoinsane adjective
Etymology
Origin of insane
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin insānus “unsound (of mind), demented, frenzied”; in- 3, sane
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.
“I look back on it as one of the most insane things we ever did.”
From Los Angeles Times
Jane, 43, who previously had scabies, said the itching "drove her insane" and that the process of getting rid of it was a "nightmare".
From BBC
‘This seems absolutely insane’: Our children pay rent on our investment properties.
From MarketWatch
The week 16 game between these two was insane, but in amongst all the high-scoring and overtime drama, was there a clue as to how this one will go?
From BBC
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security called the protests “beyond insane.”
From Salon
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.
