First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1mad
adjective \ˈmad\
: very angry
: having or showing severe mental illness
: unable to think in a clear or sensible way
mad·dermad·dest
Full Definition of MAD
1
: disordered in mind : insane
2
a : completely unrestrained by reason and judgment <driven mad by the pain> b : incapable of being explained or accounted for <a mad decision>
3
: carried away by intense anger : furious <mad about the delay>
4
: carried away by enthusiasm or desire <mad about horses>
5
: affected with rabies : rabid
6
: marked by wild gaiety and merriment : hilarious
7
: intensely excited : frantic
8
: marked by intense and often chaotic activity : wild <a mad scramble>
— mad·dish \ˈma-dish\ adjective
— like mad
: to an extreme degree <spending like mad>
See mad defined for English-language learners
See mad defined for kids
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Origin of MAD
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
Related to MAD
- Synonyms
- angered, apoplectic, ballistic, cheesed off [chiefly British], choleric, enraged, foaming, fuming, furious, hopping, horn-mad, hot, incensed, indignant, inflamed (also enflamed), infuriate, infuriated, irate, ireful, livid, angry, outraged, rabid, rankled, riled, riley, roiled, shirty [chiefly British], sore, steamed up, steaming, teed off, ticked, wrathful, wroth
2mad
verb
mad·dedmad·ding
3mad
noun
Definition of MAD
1
: a fit or mood of bad temper
First Known Use of MAD
1834
MAD
abbreviation
Definition of MAD
mutual assured destruction; mutually assured destruction
MAD Defined for Kids
mad
adjective \ˈmad\
mad·dermad·dest
Definition of MAD for Kids
1
: angry <He's mad at his brother.>
2
: insane 1 <… has the whole world gone mad today? — Christopher Paul Curtis, The Watsons>
3
: done or made without thinking <a mad promise>
4
: infatuated <She is mad about horses.>
5
: having rabies <a mad dog>
6
: marked by intense and often disorganized activity <At the end of the game, there was a mad scramble.>
— mad·ly adverb
— mad·ness noun
— like mad
: with a great amount of energy or speed <The crowd cheered like mad.> <He ran like mad.>
Medical Dictionary
mad
adjective \ˈmad\
mad·dermad·dest
Medical Definition of MAD
1
: arising from, indicative of, or marked by mental disorder
2
: affected with rabies : rabid
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