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mad definition

mad (mad)

adjective madder mad′·der, maddest mad′·dest

  1. mentally ill; insane
  2. wildly excited or disorderly; frenzied; frantic mad with fear
  3. showing or resulting from lack of reason; foolish and rash; unwise a mad scheme
  4. blindly and foolishly enthusiastic or fond; infatuated to be mad about clothes
  5. wildly amusing; hilarious a mad comedy
  6. having rabies a mad dog
    1. angry or provoked: often with at
    2. showing or expressing anger

Etymology: ME madd, aphetic < OE gemæd, pp. of (ge)mædan, to make mad, akin to Goth gamaiths, crippled, OS gimēd, foolish < IE *mait- < base *mai-, to hew, cut off > Goth maitan, to hew, Gr mitylos, dehorned

transitive verb, intransitive verb madded mad′·ded, madding mad′·ding

Archaic to madden

noun

an angry or sullen mood or fit
mad Idioms

have a mad on

Informal to be angry

mad as a hatter

or mad as a March hare
completely crazy
MAD definition

MAD (mad)

noun

the theory that the possession of equally devastating nuclear weapons by superpowers will deter each from attacking another or its allies

Etymology: m(utual) a(ssured) d(estruction)

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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