View synonyms for mad

mad

[ mad ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

comparative: madder [mad, -er],superlative: maddest [mad, -ist].

mentally disturbed; deranged; insane; demented.
Synonyms: crazy, crazed, maniacal, lunatic
enraged; greatly provoked or irritated; angry.
Synonyms: irate, wrathful, furious
(of animals)
1. abnormally furious; ferocious:
  a mad bull.
2. affected with rabies; rabid:
  a mad dog.
extremely foolish or unwise; imprudent; irrational:
a mad scheme to invade France.
Synonyms: unsafe, perilous, dangerous, ill-advised
Antonyms: safe, sound, practical, sensible
wildly excited or confused; frantic:
mad haste.
Synonyms: frenzied
overcome by desire, eagerness, enthusiasm, etc.; excessively or uncontrollably fond; infatuated:
He's mad about the opera.
wildly lively and merry; enjoyably hilarious:
to have a mad time at the Mardi Gras.
(of wind, storms, etc.) furious in violence:
A mad gale swept across the channel.
Slang. much or many:
Mad props for getting this organization off the ground.

adverb

Slang. very; extremely:
It's mad hot in this car.

verb (used with object)

, mad·ded, mad·ding.

Archaic. to make mad.

verb (used without object)

, mad·ded, mad·ding.

Archaic. to be, become, or act mad.

MAD

[ mad ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Mutual Assured Destruction.

mad.

abbreviation for

madam.

mad

/ mæd /

adjective

mentally deranged; insane
senseless; foolish
a mad idea
informal.
often foll by at angry; resentful
foll byabout, on, or over; often postpositive wildly enthusiastic (about) or fond (of)
mad about football
football-mad
extremely excited or confused; frantic
a mad rush
temporarily overpowered by violent reactions, emotions, etc
mad with grief
of animals
1. unusually ferocious
  a mad buffalo
2. afflicted with rabies
like mad informal.
with great energy, enthusiasm, or haste; wildly
mad as a hatter
crazily eccentric

verb

archaic.
to make or become mad; act or cause to act as if mad

MAD

/ mæd /

acronym for

mutual assured destruction: a theory of nuclear deterrence whereby each side in a conflict has the capacity to destroy the other in retaliation for a nuclear attack

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Usage Note

Mad meaning “enraged, angry” has been used since 1400, and this sense is a very common one. Because some teachers and usage critics insist that the only correct meaning of mad is “mentally disturbed, insane,” mad is often replaced by angry in formal contexts: The president is angry at Congress for overriding his veto.

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Derived Forms

ˈmaddish, adjective

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Other Words From

half-mad adjective
half-mad·ly adverb
half-mad·ness noun
qua·si-mad adjective
qua·si-mad·ly adverb
un·mad adjective
un·mad·ded adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mad¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English mad (adjective), madden (intransitive verb, derivative of the adjective); Old English gemǣd “made mad,” past participle of gemǣdan (unrecorded) “to make mad,” akin to gemād “mad, foolish”; cognate with Old Saxon gemēd, Old High German gimeit “foolish”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mad¹

Old English gemǣded, past participle of gemǣdan to render insane; related to gemād insane, and to Old High German gimeit silly, crazy, Old Norse meitha to hurt, damage

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

have a mad on, Informal. to be angry for a period of time; be in a bad mood:
The last time he had a mad on, it lasted for days.
like mad, Informal. with great haste, impulsiveness, energy, or enthusiasm:
She ran like mad to catch the bus.
mad as a hatter, completely insane.

More idioms and phrases containing mad

crazy (mad) about
drive someone crazy (mad)
hopping mad
like crazy (mad)
stark raving mad

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Synonym Study

Mad, crazy, insane are used to characterize wildly impractical or foolish ideas, actions, etc. Mad suggests senselessness and excess: The scheme of buying the bridge was absolutely mad. In informal usage, crazy suggests recklessness and impracticality: a crazy young couple. Insane is used with some opprobrium to express unsoundness and possible harmfulness: The new traffic system is simply insane.

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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