brainsick
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Mentally ill, insane: Describes a person whose mind is severely disordered, exhibiting irrational thoughts or behavior.
- Affected with madness: Characterized by a state of being mentally deranged.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The old tale spoke of a brainsick king who believed he was made of glass.
- After the traumatic event, he was dismissed as merely brainsick by those who didn't understand his pain.
- Her brainsick ramblings frightened the villagers.
Advanced Usage
- Literary/Archaic Tone: The word "brainsick" is now primarily used in literary, historical, or archaic contexts. It is less common in modern clinical or everyday language.
- The playwright used the term "brainsick" to evoke the Elizabethan era's understanding of mental distress.
Variants and Related Words
- Brain-sick (adj): An alternative hyphenated spelling with the same meaning.
- Brainsickness (n): The state or condition of being brainsick. (Archaic)
- His brainsickness was evident to all.
Synonyms
- Insane
- Mad
- Deranged
- Lunatic (archaic)
- Demented
Antonyms
- Sane
- Rational
- Lucid
- Sound-minded
Notes on Usage
- Connotation: The term often carries a negative, sometimes dismissive or cruel, connotation. It is important to use it with sensitivity, if at all, recognizing its archaic nature.
- Modern Equivalent: In contemporary contexts, specific, respectful clinical terminology (e.g., "suffering from a psychotic disorder") is preferred over archaic terms like "brainsick."
Adjective
- affected with madness or insanity
- a man who had gone mad