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
Robert F. Moss
b
: behavior or thinking that is very foolish or dangerous : extreme folly
an idea that is pure/sheer madness
c
d
: intense anger : rage
2
: any of several ailments of animals marked by frenzied behavior
specifically
: rabies
Synonyms
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
Still, there was a method to Zimmer’s musical madness, which was entirely in alignment for McQueen’s unflinching vision for Blitz.
—Scott Huver, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2024
Trying to pin down the human mental capacity of being creative or imaginative, and tie that to the human capacity of madness or hallucinating is a tough road to hoe.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Logical consistency has the capacity to become infinitely unrealistic yet remains far removed from madness.
—Yukio Mishima, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
But Melina always fascinated Lila — the authenticity of madness, untethered from the social mores that dominated their environment, made sense for Lila.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for madness 
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Scott Huver, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2024
Trying to pin down the human mental capacity of being creative or imaginative, and tie that to the human capacity of madness or hallucinating is a tough road to hoe.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Logical consistency has the capacity to become infinitely unrealistic yet remains far removed from madness.
—Yukio Mishima, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
But Melina always fascinated Lila — the authenticity of madness, untethered from the social mores that dominated their environment, made sense for Lila.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for madness
Dictionary Entries Near madness
Cite this Entry
“Madness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/madness. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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