madman

/'mædmən/

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An insane person: A person who is severely mentally ill, particularly one whose behavior is extremely foolish, irrational, or dangerous.
   • A wildly foolish or reckless person: Used to describe someone who acts in a very foolish, impulsive, or uncontrolled way.

Usage

• The word "madman" is a countable noun. It is often used in a hyperbolic or figurative sense to criticize extreme or reckless behavior, not just clinical insanity.
• It can be considered offensive when used to describe someone with a genuine mental health condition. More neutral terms like "person with a mental illness" are preferred in formal or sensitive contexts.
• Typically used with articles: , .

Examples

• The villagers were terrified of the madman who lived in the old house on the hill.
• He drove through the storm like a madman, ignoring all warnings.
• Only a madman would attempt to climb that mountain without proper equipment.

Advanced Usage

• "Like a madman": An adverbial phrase meaning with extreme intensity, speed, or lack of control.
  • He was working like a madman to finish the project on time.
• "The method in his madness": A reference to the idea that even seemingly irrational behavior may have a logical purpose. This phrase originates from Shakespeare's .
  • His plan seems chaotic, but there's a method in his madness.

Variants and Related Words

• Mad (adj): Insane; very angry. (e.g., )
• Madness (n): The state of being mad; insanity; extreme foolishness. (e.g., )
• Madwoman (n): A female insane person. (e.g., )

Synonyms

• Lunatic: An outdated term for an insane person, now also used figuratively for a foolish person.
• Maniac: A person exhibiting extreme symptoms of wild behavior, often violent.
• Psychotic: A clinical term for a person experiencing psychosis, characterized by a loss of contact with reality.

Idioms and Phrases

• "A madman's bargain": A deal or agreement that is foolish, risky, or doomed to fail.
  • Signing that contract without reading it was a madman's bargain.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an insane person

Từ đồng nghĩa

• lunatic
• maniac