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Synonyms

madness

American  
[mad-nis] / ˈmæd nɪs /

noun

  1. the state of being mad; insanity.

  2. senseless folly.

    It is sheer madness to speak as you do.

  3. frenzy; rage.

  4. intense excitement or enthusiasm.

madness British  
/ ˈmædnɪs /

noun

  1. insanity; lunacy

  2. extreme anger, excitement, or foolishness

  3. a nontechnical word for rabies

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
madness Idioms  

  1. see method in one's madness.

Other Word Forms

  • premadness noun

Etymology

Origin of madness

First recorded in 1350–1400, madness is from the Middle English word madnesse. See mad, -ness

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.