madman
Americannoun
noun
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.
Second, if you’re the president and you want to give the Madman Theory a try, you have to play the Madman role consistently.
From Slate • Apr. 21, 2026
Vardy's barrister, Hugh Tomlinson, will be portrayed by Simon Coury, best known for appearing in The Professor And The Madman.
From BBC • Oct. 12, 2022
In the late 1980s, a former Scientologist named Bent Corydon broke away from the Church of Scientology and wrote a scathing book about his experiences entitled "L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?"
From Salon • Aug. 30, 2020
To watch all of the entire "Fox Nation Outdoors" series, including Jones' hunting trips with the "Motor City Madman" Ted Nugent, and former U.S.
From Fox News • Jun. 9, 2020
The scale of the theft was a job for a Consummate Professional, not a Secret Admirer or a Lone Madman.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
