adverb
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in an insane or foolish manner
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with great speed and energy
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informal extremely or excessively
I love you madly
Etymology
Origin of madly
A Middle English word dating back to 1175–1225; see origin at mad, -ly
Explanation
To do something madly is to do it in a frenzied or crazy way. If you oversleep, you might throw your clothes on and run madly out the door to catch your bus. If your sister has a demented, angry expression on her face, you could say that her eyes are glowing madly. If your brother is rushing around the house, trying to hastily clean it up before your parents get home, you might say that he's madly throwing things in the garbage. Madly sometimes also means "intensely" or "excessively." In Shakespeare's famous play, Romeo and Juliet love each other madly.
Vocabulary lists containing madly
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.
Nobody would ever give a damn about Cats in Hats or Green Eggs and Ham, and the world wouldn't have a golden goose - the madly magnificent Dr. Seuss.
From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026
I had no intention of getting married again, but I fell madly in love with the person who changed that.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026
When they get their money, they run madly for the exits, bowling over anyone in their path, and they squeal away in their cars, leaving tire tracks on the road.
From Slate • Nov. 15, 2025
Investors seem to be madly saying, “What, me worry?”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025
“I’m joking,” said Mr. Wonka, giggling madly behind his beard.
From "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl
Definitions 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.
