Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

madness

/ˈmæd.nəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.97 in modern English

Syllables: mad-ness
IPA: /ˈmæd.nəs/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state of being mad; insanity; mental disease.

Uncountable

noun

The state of being angry.

Uncountable

noun

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Though this be madneſſe, / Yet there is Method in 't: […]"
"You were lonely for a man I said, "Take me as I am" 'Cause you might enjoy some madness for a while"
"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."

Etymology

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

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: madnes
Suffix: mad

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmæd.nəs/
British English: /ˈmad.nəs/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

madnesses (plural)

Derived Forms

premadness semimadness

Phrases

canine madness gluten-free madness March Madness method in the madness method to one's madness midsummer madness moon madness mulga madness

Synonyms

bedlamism brainsickness craze craziness derangement insaneness insanity lunacy lune madness mental disorder mental illness

Antonyms

sanity

Rhymes With

sadness badness fadness

Questions

How do you pronounce madness?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmæd.nəs/.
What does madness mean?: The state of being mad; insanity; mental disease.
Where does madness come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce madness

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “madness”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈmæd.nəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “madness”.
Repeat and practice — Say “madness” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.