madness
Americannoun
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the state of being mad; insanity.
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senseless folly.
It is sheer madness to speak as you do.
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frenzy; rage.
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intense excitement or enthusiasm.
noun
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insanity; lunacy
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extreme anger, excitement, or foolishness
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a nontechnical word for rabies
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of madness
First recorded in 1350–1400, madness is from the Middle English word madnesse. See mad, -ness
Explanation
Madness is foolish, impulsive behavior. It would be madness to ride on the back of your friend's car, standing on the bumper. A screaming crowd waiting to see their favorite rock star creates an atmosphere of madness — and their enthusiasm itself can be described as madness. You could also say that donating all your money to an animal shelter would be madness, or describe the madness of a busy Thanksgiving Day sale. Madness sometimes takes on its original meaning, "mental instability" or "insanity."
Vocabulary lists containing madness
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.
The bizarre effect became known as "mushroom madness."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
“There is video all over showcasing the madness, chaos, the unprofessionalism of what this is doing to our communities,” Padilla said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Authorities at the time caused "daily madness for everyone," said Suely Araujo of the Climate Observatory NGO.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
There’s a method to all this madness, and it’s best illustrated by the fact that Vance is the one leading the charge.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
It was madness, extraordinary, impossible, he thought; he had woken that morning, pulled on his jeans, and slung his crows’ string around his neck with no inkling that he was going to an enchanted island.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
