madness

[mad-nis]

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

/ ˈmædnɪs /

noun

1. insanity; lunacy

2. extreme anger, excitement, or foolishness

3. a nontechnical word for rabies

Other Word Forms

• premadness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of madness¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

see method in one's madness.

Example Sentences

She needs drugs to stay sane, but their side effects—weight gain, spaciness—damage her social life and career prospects and make her almost long for the release of madness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Since the start of all this madness, I’ve seen the left offer a rejoinder to the snowflake charge: the slogan “ICE Melts,” usually accompanied by a drawing of the action at hand.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With holiday shopping madness around the corner, Amazon is beefing up its staffing, and announced plans this week to hire 30,000 seasonal workers at its distribution centers in California.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Stan’s swift rise in fortune and swifter descent into alcoholism and madness feels like a feverish parody of the get-rich-quick story.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Councillor Tom Ashton, portfolio holder for planning at the neighbouring East Lindsey authority, previously described the project as "the thin end of the wedge of climate madness" and said: "Its scale and mass beggars belief."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• absurdity 
• craziness 
• delusion 
• foolishness 
• hysteria 
• lunacy 
• mania 
• mental illness 
• stupidity