madness

noun

mad·​ness ˈmad-nəs How to pronounce madness (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being mad: such as
a
: a state of severe mental illness
not used technically
… fortifications against an inner darkness, the threat of madness that crouched above him throughout his life.Robert F. Moss
b
: behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous : extreme folly
an idea that is pure/sheer madness
d
: intense anger : rage
2
: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior
specifically : rabies

Examples of madness in a Sentence

He suffered a series of tragedies that nearly drove him to madness. Her friends told her the idea was pure madness, but she went through with it anyway. It was the height of madness for him to drive at such high speeds!
Recent Examples on the Web But for Southwest Airlines and its outdated crew-scheduling software, the madness dragged on for over 72 hours as the carrier canceled more than 16,000 flights. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2024 In that light, there is a method to the Prada madness. David Szondy, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2024 All that madness in Gloria Swanson’s eyes at the end of Billy Wilder’s 1950 masterpiece Sunset Boulevard is amplified to breathtaking lengths in Jamie Lloyd‘s commanding and gorgeous renovation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1993 musical Sunset Blvd. Greg Evans, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2024 But then Amadeus injures his hand, and succumbs to a near madness. John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for madness 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'madness.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of madness was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near madness

Cite this Entry

“Madness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/madness. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

madness

noun
mad·​ness ˈmad-nəs How to pronounce madness (audio)
1
: a severely disordered state of mind
not used technically
2
: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior
specifically : rabies

More from Merriam-Webster on madness

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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