unhinged
Americanadjective
-
having no hinge or hinges, or with the hinges removed.
an unhinged gate.
-
unsettled, disordered, or distraught.
He became unhinged when his friend died.
Etymology
Origin of unhinged
First recorded in 1710–20; unhinged ( def. 1 ) un- 1 + hinged ( def. ); unhinged ( def. 2 ) unhinge + -ed 2
Explanation
If someone's unhinged, they aren't completely sane. Unhinged is another way to say "crazy" or "out to lunch." Babysitting six kids between the ages of three and ten for an entire day might leave you feeling a little unhinged. More serious is when voters begin to worry that one of the presidential candidates is actually unhinged, appearing irrational and unpredictable. Unhinged stems from the less common verb unhinge, which meant "disorder the mind" before it was ever used to mean "take a door off its hinges."
Vocabulary lists containing unhinged
The Hunger Games
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And Then There Were None
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I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
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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.
Unhinged and unexpectedly hilarious, this delightful animated romp is worth checking out even if you’re not a kid.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2025
And lo, the Unhinged Elmo trend was born.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2022
"Unhinged Elmo" began trending online after the clip from 2004 circulated showing Elmo arguing with his friend Zoe over an oatmeal raisin cookie.
From Fox News • Jan. 6, 2022
Unhinged from clunky plastic handsets wired into specific rooms, what lines of communication should reach us when?
From BBC • Jan. 4, 2019
Unhinged though I was, I asked the reason for this, but Madame de Martigny could only say it was the Queen's order, and I honestly believe she had no further explanation to offer.
From The Heart of Denise and Other Tales by Levett-Yeats, S. (Sidney)
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.
