madhouse

American  

[mad-hous] / ˈmædˌhaʊs /

noun

plural

madhouses

1. a hospital for the confinement and treatment of mentally disturbed persons.

2. a wild, confused, and often noisy place, set of circumstances, etc..

   The office was a madhouse today.

   Synonyms:

   bedlam

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madhouse British  

/ ˈmædˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a mental hospital or asylum

2. a state of uproar or confusion

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Etymology

Origin of madhouse

First recorded in 1680–90; mad + house

Explanation

A madhouse is an old fashioned and derogatory word for a psychiatric hospital. It was once quite common to talk about mentally ill people being sent to the madhouse, but that would be offensive today. While the many terms for psychiatric hospital (or the archaic insane asylum), including madhouse and funny farm or loony bin are no longer an acceptable way to talk about mental health care, most of them are commonly used to informally describe confused or chaotic situations. It would make sense to describe a roomful of eight year-olds running around and screaming happily as a madhouse, for example.

Example Sentences

The team was undecided on how well Mellencamp’s biggest hits—sepia-tinted odes to small-town America—fit today’s college football madhouse cathedrals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

The follow-up continues this kookiness with a madhouse spoof of Hallmark holiday saccharine in which a woodpile becomes a homicidal monster.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025

With the tying run at second base and none out in the ninth inning, he was the calm in a screaming madhouse.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025

Mr Acciardo described the scene as a "madhouse" when first responders arrived.

From BBC • Sep. 9, 2024

The run takes me an hour, so by the time I’m back, the place is a madhouse.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Related Words

• psychiatric hospital