madness
word
Definition
Madness is a state of being mentally ill or unable to think in a normal, reasonable way. It can also mean extremely foolish, wild, or uncontrolled behavior.
Usage & Nuances
Often used both literally and figuratively. In everyday English, it commonly means chaos, extreme enthusiasm, or foolishness rather than clinical mental illness; for the medical sense, speakers may prefer more precise terms. Common patterns include 'pure madness', 'there's a madness to it', and 'football/shopping madness'.
Example Sentences
His decision to jump into the icy river was pure madness.
basic
The noise in the classroom turned into madness.
basic
Some old stories linked madness with the full moon.
basic
Black Friday shopping is absolute madness every year.
natural
There was a kind of madness in his eyes when he talked about revenge.
natural
Trying to finish this project in one night is madness, but we're doing it anyway.
natural