madman

[mad-man, -muhn]

noun

plural

madmen 

1. a person who is or behaves as if insane; lunatic; maniac.

madman

/ ˈmædmən /

noun

1. a man who is insane, esp one who behaves violently; lunatic

Word History and Origins

Origin of madman¹

First recorded in 1300–50, madman is from Middle English madd man. See mad, man

Example Sentences

If there were a way to ensure that train travelers wouldn’t become the victims of the murderous rampage of a madman like Mr. Ferguson, somebody would have come up with it by now.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

One could never tell when a chain-saw-wielding madman was about to jump out from behind a wall.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Zemeckis, who co-wrote the screenplay with Bob Gale, must have been as much of a madman savant as Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown to compress so much plot into every frame.

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His defence lawyer described the attack as the "deed of a madman" at the start of the proceedings.

Read more on Barron's

Matters turn, ahem, even graver when a guard from a nearby lunatic asylum arrives to announce a madman has escaped.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• lunatic 
• maniac 
• psychopath