madder

[ mad-er ]

/ ˈmæd ər /

noun

any plant of the genus Rubia, especially the climbing R. tinctorum, of Europe, having open clusters of small, yellowish flowers.Compare madder family.

the root of this plant, formerly used in dyeing.

the dye or coloring matter itself.

a color produced by such a dye.

Nearby words

Origin of madder

before 1000; Middle English mad(d)er, Old English mæd(e)re; cognate with Old Norse mathra, Old High German matara

madder

[ mad-er ]

/ ˈmæd ər /

adjective

comparative of mad.

Can be confusedmadder matter

mad

[ mad ]

/ mæd /

adjective, mad·der, mad·dest.

mentally disturbed; deranged; insane; demented.

enraged; greatly provoked or irritated; angry.

(of animals)

abnormally furious; ferocious: a mad bull.
affected with rabies; rabid: a mad dog.

extremely foolish or unwise; imprudent; irrational: a mad scheme to invade France.

wildly excited or confused; frantic: mad haste.

overcome by desire, eagerness, enthusiasm, etc.; excessively or uncontrollably fond; infatuated: He's mad about the opera.

wildly lively and merry; enjoyably hilarious: to have a mad time at the Mardi Gras.

(of wind, storms, etc.) furious in violence: A mad gale swept across the channel.

noun

an angry or ill-tempered period, mood, or spell: The last time he had a mad on, it lasted for days.

verb (used with object), mad·ded, mad·ding.

Archaic. to make mad.

verb (used without object), mad·ded, mad·ding.

Archaic. to be, become, or act mad.

Origin of mad

before 900; Middle English mad (adj.), madden (intransitive v., derivative of the adj.); Old English gemǣd(e)d, past participle of *gemǣdan to make mad, akin to gemād mad, foolish; cognate with Old Saxon gemēd, Old High German gimeit foolish

SYNONYMS FOR mad

1. lunatic, maniacal, crazed, crazy. 2. furious, exasperated, raging, wrathful, irate. 4. ill-advised; unsafe, dangerous, perilous. 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. 5. frenzied.

ANTONYMS FOR mad

4. sensible, practical; sound, safe.

Related forms

half-mad, adjectivehalf-mad·ly, adverbhalf-mad·ness, nounqua·si-mad, adjective

qua·si-mad·ly, adverbun·mad, adjectiveun·mad·ded, adjective

Usage note

Mad meaning “enraged, angry” has been used since 1300, 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for madder

Late last week, McDonough assured us that Obama is “madder than hell” about the VA fiasco.
The Scandal at the VA Is Real, and Obama Is Ducking It|Ron Christie|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Thus the new marching orders: get madder about the same old things - but in an even more deranged fashion.
David's Bookclub: 'Bullies'|Justin Green|January 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On the other hand, in fairness to them, if they had read the book, they'd no doubt be madder still.
Malkin-Bots Ineptly Strike Back|David Frum, Justin Green|September 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In fact, among some pockets of the rich, the more Republicans cut their taxes, the madder they get.
Romney’s ‘47 Percent’ Comments Were Bad Economics and Bad Politics|Daniel Gross|September 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Your reporter, however, found that the more he learned, the madder he got.
Where's The Outrage?|Dan Rather|February 12, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Few countries can boast such wheat, colza, flax, and madder as it produces.
Holland, v. 1 (of 2)|Edmondo de Amicis
Boil the goods in a mordant of alum and sulphate of iron, then pass them through a bath of madder.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
At the present time the cultivation of madder is practically extinct.
Coal|Raphael Meldola
Madder Red:—To each pound of goods, alum five ounces, red or cream of tartar one ounce.
The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887)|Mrs. F.L. Gillette
But the madder they acted, the tickleder he seemed, and more prouder, and high-headeder.
Sweet Cicely|Josiah Allen's Wife: Marietta Holley

British Dictionary definitions for madder

madder

/ (ˈmædə) /

noun

any of several rubiaceous plants of the genus Rubia, esp the Eurasian R. tinctoria, which has small yellow flowers and a red fleshy root

the root of this plant

a dark reddish-purple dye formerly obtained by fermentation of this root; identical to the synthetic dye, alizarin

a red lake obtained from alizarin and an inorganic base; used as a pigment in inks and paints

Word Origin for madder

Old English mædere; related to Middle Dutch mēde, Old Norse mathra

adjective

the comparative of mad

MAD

/ (mæd) /

n acronym for US

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

mad

/ (mæd) /

adjective madder or maddest

mentally deranged; insane

senseless; foolisha mad idea

(often foll by at) informal angry; resentful

(foll by about, on, or over; often postpositive) wildly enthusiastic (about) or fond (of)mad about football; football-mad

extremely excited or confused; frantica mad rush

temporarily overpowered by violent reactions, emotions, etcmad with grief

(of animals)

unusually ferociousa mad buffalo
afflicted with rabies

like mad informal with great energy, enthusiasm, or haste; wildly

mad as a hatter crazily eccentric

verb mads, madding or madded

archaic to make or become mad; act or cause to act as if mad

Derived Formsmaddish, adjective

Word Origin for mad

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for madder

madder

type of plant (in modern use Rubia tinctorum) used for making dyes, Old English mædere, from PIE *modhro- "dye plant" (cf. Old Norse maðra, Old High German matara "madder," Polish modry, Czech modry "blue").

mad

adj.

late 13c., from Old English gemædde (plural) "out of one's mind" (usually implying also violent excitement), also "foolish, extremely stupid," earlier gemæded "rendered insane," past participle of a lost verb *gemædan "to make insane or foolish," from Proto-Germanic *ga-maid-jan, demonstrative form of *ga-maid-az "changed (for the worse), abnormal" (cf. Old Saxon gimed "foolish," Old High German gimeit "foolish, vain, boastful," Gothic gamaiþs "crippled, wounded," Old Norse meiða "to hurt, maim"), from intensive prefix *ga- + PIE *moito-, past participle of root *mei- "to change" (cf. Latin mutare "to change," mutuus "done in exchange," migrare "to change one's place of residence;" see mutable).

Emerged in Middle English to replace the more usual Old English word, wod (see wood (adj.)). Sense of "beside oneself with excitement or enthusiasm" is from early 14c. Meaning "beside oneself with anger" is attested from early 14c., but deplored by Rev. John Witherspoon (1781) as an Americanism. It now competes in American English with angry for this sense. Of animals, "affected with rabies," from late 13c. Phrase mad as a March hare is attested from 1520s, via notion of breeding season; mad as a hatter is from 1829 as "demented," 1837 as "enraged," according to a modern theory supposedly from erratic behavior caused by prolonged exposure to poison mercuric nitrate, used in making felt hats. For mad as a wet hen see hen. Mad money is attested from 1922; mad scientist is from 1891.

mad

adv.

late 14c., from mad (adj.).

Medicine definitions for madder

mad

[ măd ]

adj.

Angry; resentful.

Suffering from a disorder of the mind; insane.

Affected by rabies; rabid.

Idioms and Phrases with madder

mad

In addition to the idioms beginning with mad

mad about
mad as a hatter
mad as a hornet
made for each other
made of money
made to measure
made to order
mad rush

also see:

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

madder

noun

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of madder

madder

adjective

mad

adjective, mad·der, mad·dest.

noun

verb (used with object), mad·ded, mad·ding.

verb (used without object), mad·ded, mad·ding.

Origin of mad

Usage note

Examples from the Web for madder

madder

noun

Word Origin for madder

adjective

MAD

n acronym for US

mad

adjective madder or maddest

verb mads, madding or madded

Word Origin for mad

madder

mad

mad

mad

adj.

mad