madman
Americannoun
plural
madmennoun
Etymology
Origin of madman
First recorded in 1300–50, madman is from Middle English madd man. See mad, man
Explanation
Madman is an old fashioned, derogatory term for a severely mentally ill person. These days, calling someone with a serious psychiatric illness a madman would be offensive. You're most likely to hear dangerous criminals described as madmen, although it's also common to use this word for someone who acts recklessly: "Look how fast that madman is driving!" Another way to use madman is to emphasize the intensity of something: "She worked on that paper like a madman, writing the entire thing in just a few hours."
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.
“I didn’t know which madman it was going to be.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
But heavy metal’s favorite madman leaves us with his reminder that “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll.”
From Slate • Jul. 25, 2025
His unpredictability is sometimes portrayed by his supporters after the fact as strategic - the so-called "madman" theory of foreign relations.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025
I wouldn’t recommend the madman strategy for managing the global economy.
From Salon • Apr. 22, 2025
Mitch was carrying on like a madman in the tree house.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
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.
