madder; maddest
Synonyms of madnext
1
: arising from, indicative of, or marked by mental disorder
not used technically
2
a
: completely unrestrained by reason and judgment : unable to think in a clear or sensible way
driven mad by the pain
mad with jealousy
b
: incapable of being explained or accounted for
a mad decision
3
informal : intensely angry or displeased
What are you so mad about?
Everyone was mad about the delay.
That kind of behavior really gets me mad.
I'm so mad I could spit.
4
: carried away by enthusiasm or desire : extremely or excessively fond of or enthusiastic about something or someone
mad about horses
… there is a nouveau riche demographic mad for diamonds and Lamborghinis …Kevin D. Williamson
often used in combination
trivia known to only the most movie-mad film buffs
a power-mad villain
money-mad
5
: affected with rabies : rabid
a mad dog
6
: marked by wild gaiety and merriment : hilarious
… of their childhood, of the mad pranks they played …Winston Churchill
7
: intensely excited : frantic
… driving him mad with jealousy.Edmund Wilson
8
: marked by intense and often chaotic activity : wild
a mad scramble
9
US, informal : great in quantity, amount, extent, or degree
making mad money
Her performance won her mad respect from fans and peers alike, but the media response was tempered at best.Joan Morgan
maddish adjective

Examples of mad in a Sentence

If you keep teasing that dog, you'll make him mad. What are you so mad about? That guy makes me so mad! a movie about a mad scientist She's mad for a cute boy in her class. He's mad keen on sailing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The next morning, my feet began to itch like mad. Literary Hub, 8 June 2026 None of that would've been possible without the vision that Clay Travis laid out to me early in 2020 as the world was about to go mad. Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026 In the mad race to be the premier AI lab in the world, the company took a big step this week towards pipping bitter rival OpenAI to a public market listing. Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 5 June 2026 Like, vaguely mad at the mayor; don’t know who anybody is. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for mad

Word History

Etymology

Middle English medd, madd, from Old English gemǣd, past participle of *gemǣdan to madden, from gemād silly, mad; akin to Old High German gimeit foolish, crazy

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Time Traveler
The first known use of mad was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mad. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

mad

adjective
ˈmad
madder; maddest
1
: arising from or marked by mental disorder
not used technically
2
: done or made without thinking
a mad promise
3
informal
a
: extremely angry : furious
make a bull mad
b
: very displeased
4
: enthusiastic
mad about dancing
5
: affected with rabies : rabid
a mad dog
6
: wildly festive
a mad party
7
: wildly excited : frantic
mad with pain
8
: marked by intense and often chaotic activity
a mad scramble for the ball
madly adverb
madness noun

Medical Definition

mad

adjective
madder; maddest
1
: arising from, indicative of, or marked by mental disorder
not used technically
2
: affected with rabies : rabid

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