madness
Americannoun
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the state of being mad; insanity.
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senseless folly.
It is sheer madness to speak as you do.
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frenzy; rage.
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intense excitement or enthusiasm.
noun
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insanity; lunacy
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extreme anger, excitement, or foolishness
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a nontechnical word for rabies
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of madness
First recorded in 1350–1400, madness is from the Middle English word madnesse. See mad, -ness
Explanation
Madness is foolish, impulsive behavior. It would be madness to ride on the back of your friend's car, standing on the bumper. A screaming crowd waiting to see their favorite rock star creates an atmosphere of madness — and their enthusiasm itself can be described as madness. You could also say that donating all your money to an animal shelter would be madness, or describe the madness of a busy Thanksgiving Day sale. Madness sometimes takes on its original meaning, "mental instability" or "insanity."
Vocabulary lists containing madness
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.
Yet, she added, "I always assume that there's a method to his madness," and many of his loudest actions may in fact be deflections and "sleight of hand."
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
There’s a method to all this madness, and it’s best illustrated by the fact that Vance is the one leading the charge.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
"This isn't even like Orwell or Kafka, it's just madness," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
It’s all here at the doorstep: the NYC finale, the mixed dubs madness, the overpriced vodka lemonades, and delightful Eala-Mania.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Indeed, at the time of this writing we have forty-one dogs, counting the joyful madness we call the puppy pen, and each dog has taught us much.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
