madhouse
noun
mad·house ˈmad-ˌhau̇s 
1
informal + often offensive : an institution providing care to mentally ill individuals
2
informal : a place of uproar or confusion
The day of the game against the U.S.S.R., Blythe Arena was a madhouse. Thousands milled about outside, hoping to find a way in.
Walter Bingham
Walter Bingham
Synonyms
- babel
- bedlam
- circus
- scrum [British]
- three-ring circus
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
The stadium was a madhouse when the team won the championship. it was hard to believe that this place with the bright cheery walls was really a madhouse
Recent Examples on the Web Keeping the asymmetry satisfies Cornyn’s guidelines and preserves the G.O.P. logic—the logic of a madhouse. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 Mackey Arena turned into a madhouse when Stefanovic knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer, as the Boilermakers scored 13 unanswered points in a span of three minutes. Ryan Mcfadden, baltimoresun.com, 13 Feb. 2022 Mama Dickinson fears her husband has planned out this whole thing just to lock her away in a madhouse. Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2021 But there’s reason to fear that America’s real estate market, after passing through the pandemic madhouse, might never get back to that kind of normal again. New York Times, 12 Nov. 2021 And so the teams behind the Piatti family of Italian restaurants, the Spanish paella powerhouse Toro Kitchen + Bar and the modernist Mexican madhouse called Mixtli launched new restaurants high into mid-pandemic orbit. Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, 12 Nov. 2020 Alabama bike shop owner Clint Jameson got one warning before COVID-19 turned his whole industry into a madhouse. al, 10 July 2020 The first Wednesday in February was once a recruiting madhouse. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2020 The stage was an absolute madhouse with the 30-year-old retiree wildin' out as ringleader. Kat Bein, Billboard, 2 Feb. 2020 See More
John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 Mackey Arena turned into a madhouse when Stefanovic knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer, as the Boilermakers scored 13 unanswered points in a span of three minutes. Ryan Mcfadden, baltimoresun.com, 13 Feb. 2022 Mama Dickinson fears her husband has planned out this whole thing just to lock her away in a madhouse. Jessica Goldstein, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2021 But there’s reason to fear that America’s real estate market, after passing through the pandemic madhouse, might never get back to that kind of normal again. New York Times, 12 Nov. 2021 And so the teams behind the Piatti family of Italian restaurants, the Spanish paella powerhouse Toro Kitchen + Bar and the modernist Mexican madhouse called Mixtli launched new restaurants high into mid-pandemic orbit. Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, 12 Nov. 2020 Alabama bike shop owner Clint Jameson got one warning before COVID-19 turned his whole industry into a madhouse. al, 10 July 2020 The first Wednesday in February was once a recruiting madhouse. Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2020 The stage was an absolute madhouse with the 30-year-old retiree wildin' out as ringleader. Kat Bein, Billboard, 2 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
madhouse
noun
mad·house ˈmad-ˌhau̇s
: a place or scene of complete confusion or noisy excitement
madhouse
noun
as in bedlam
a place of uproar or confusion our house is always a madhouse on school mornings, with five kids and two dogs running around Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- bedlam
- circus
- babel
- pandemonium
- commotion
- chaos
- mess
- racket
- bustle
- three-ring circus
- turmoil
- scrum
- din
- ruckus
- disarray
- tumult
- brouhaha
- disorder
- noise
- hubbub
- clamor
- shambles
- clatter
- disarrangement
- hell
- havoc
- confusion
- muss
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- paradise
- utopia
- heaven
- organization
- order
- orderliness
- peace
- arcadia
- calm
- lull
- quiet
- respite
- silence
- hush
- stillness