loony bin

noun

Informal.

1. an insane asylum or the psychiatric ward of a hospital.

loony bin

noun

1. slang,  a mental hospital or asylum

Word History and Origins

Origin of loony bin¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Maybe he was someone’s relative who had just gotten out of the loony bin.

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In common parlance, the film was described as being about an “insane asylum” or a “loony bin” filled with people who were “crazy” or “nuts.”

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What was once a ticket to the political loony bin has leaped off Hollywood screens and out of science-fiction novels and into the national conversation.

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Dear Amy: "I'm No Loony" reported that her folks laughed about her grandfather's post-WWII service guarding a military mental hospital, calling it a "loony bin."

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In what was framed as a funny anecdote, my parents and aunt repeatedly talked about my grandfather's time guarding the "loony bin."

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Related Words

• mental health facility www.thesaurus.com
• mental health institution www.thesaurus.com
• psychiatric hospital www.thesaurus.com