madness

From Middle English madnes, madnesse; equivalent to mad +‎ -ness.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmad.nəs/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmæd.nəs/, /ˈmæd.nɪs/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛd.nɘs/
• Rhymes: (US) -ædnəs

madness (countable and uncountable, plural madnesses)

1. The state of being mad; insanity; mental disease.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:insanity

   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 261, column 2:

     Though this be madneſſe, / Yet there is Method in 't: […]

   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Eden Prime:

     Shepard: What's wrong with your assistant?
     Dr. Warren: Manuel has a brilliant mind, but he's always been a bit... unstable. Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin.
     Dr. Manuel: Is it madness to see the future? To see the destruction rushing towards us? To understand there is no escape? No hope? No, I am not mad. I'm the only sane one left!
     Dr. Warren: I gave him an extra dose of his meds after the attack.

2. The state of being angry.
3. rash folly

To convey the state of being mad as in angry, the word anger is used instead.

• sanity

• Amsdens, desmans