mad

¹

[mad]

adjective

comparative

madder ,

superlative

maddest .

1. mentally disturbed; deranged; insane; demented.

   Synonyms: crazy, crazed, maniacal, lunatic

2. enraged; greatly provoked or irritated; angry.

   Synonyms: irate, wrathful, furious

3. (of animals)

   1. abnormally furious; ferocious.

      a mad bull.

   2. affected with rabies; rabid.

      a mad dog.

4. extremely foolish or unwise; imprudent; irrational.

   a mad scheme to invade France.

   Synonyms: perilous, dangerous, unsafe, ill-advised
   Antonyms: safe, sound, practical, sensible

5. wildly excited or confused; frantic.

   mad haste.

   Synonyms: frenzied

6. overcome by desire, eagerness, enthusiasm, etc.; excessively or uncontrollably fond; infatuated.

   He's mad about the opera.

7. wildly lively and merry; enjoyably hilarious.

   to have a mad time at the Mardi Gras.

8. (of wind, storms, etc.) furious in violence.

   A mad gale swept across the channel.

9. Slang.,  much or many.

   Mad props for getting this organization off the ground.

adverb

1. Slang.,  very; extremely.

   It's mad hot in this car.

verb (used with object)

madded, madding 

1. Archaic.,  to make mad.

verb (used without object)

madded, madding 

1. Archaic.,  to be, become, or act mad.

MAD

²

[mad]

noun

1. Mutual Assured Destruction.

mad.

³

abbreviation

1. madam.

mad

¹

/ mæd /

adjective

1. mentally deranged; insane

2. senseless; foolish

   a mad idea

3. informal,  (often foll by at) angry; resentful

4. wildly enthusiastic (about) or fond (of)

   mad about football

   football-mad

5. extremely excited or confused; frantic

   a mad rush

6. temporarily overpowered by violent reactions, emotions, etc

   mad with grief

7. 1. unusually ferocious

      a mad buffalo

   2. afflicted with rabies

8. informal,  with great energy, enthusiasm, or haste; wildly

9. crazily eccentric

verb

1. archaic,  to make or become mad; act or cause to act as if mad

MAD

²

/ mæd /

acronym

1. mutual assured destruction: a theory of nuclear deterrence whereby each side in a conflict has the capacity to destroy the other in retaliation for a nuclear attack

Usage

Mad meaning “enraged, angry” has been used since 1400, and this sense is a very common one. Because some teachers and usage critics insist that the only correct meaning of mad is “mentally disturbed, insane,” mad is often replaced by angry in formal contexts: The president is angry at Congress for overriding his veto.

Other Word Forms

• half-mad adjective
• half-madly adverb
• half-madness noun
• quasi-mad adjective
• quasi-madly adverb
• unmad adjective
• unmadded adjective
• maddish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mad¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English mad (adjective), madden (intransitive verb, derivative of the adjective); Old English gemǣd “made mad,” past participle of gemǣdan (unrecorded) “to make mad,” akin to gemād “mad, foolish”; cognate with Old Saxon gemēd, Old High German gimeit “foolish”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mad¹

Old English gemǣded, past participle of gemǣdan to render insane; related to gemād insane, and to Old High German gimeit silly, crazy, Old Norse meitha to hurt, damage

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. like mad, with great haste, impulsiveness, energy, or enthusiasm.

   She ran like mad to catch the bus.

2. have a mad on, to be angry for a period of time; be in a bad mood.

   The last time he had a mad on, it lasted for days.

3. mad as a hatter, completely insane.

More idioms and phrases containing mad

• crazy (mad) about
• drive someone crazy (mad)
• hopping mad
• like crazy (mad)
• stark raving mad

Synonym Study

Mad, crazy, insane are used to characterize wildly impractical or foolish ideas, actions, etc. Mad suggests senselessness and excess: The scheme of buying the bridge was absolutely mad. In informal usage, crazy suggests recklessness and impracticality: a crazy young couple. Insane is used with some opprobrium to express unsoundness and possible harmfulness: The new traffic system is simply insane.

Example Sentences

No one else in the sport’s recent history has possessed such a knack for driving fans, administrators and executives completely mad.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Contemporary Chandler gets mad, Monica puts a turkey on her head to woo him back and Chandler says he loves her for the first time.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

She had been present during the immigration sweeps, and was still mad at herself for not doing more to stop agents from taking her co-workers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

I enjoyed coaching 11 versus 11 on the training field, and I am sure I have driven a lot of my players mad with my focus on team shape.

Read more on BBC

One kid kicked a football, commencing a mad scramble as a group of friends converged on the object of their delight.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crazy 
• delirious 
• demented 
• deranged 
• frantic 
• frenzied 
• insane 
• kooky 
• nutty