madman
/ˈmadmən
/noun (plural madmen)
1A man who is mentally ill.We need to get away from the idea that the only people bound by demons are mentally deranged madmen....
- It was like engaging with the texts of a madman in a mental institution.
- By now, everyone along the wide corridor was chucking very hurtful comments at me, all laughing like madmen or madwomen.
1.1An extremely foolish or reckless person: car got out of control—some madman going too fast...
- If you argue with a madman, it is extremely probable that you will get the worst of it; for in many ways his mind moves all the quicker for not being delayed by the things that go with good judgment.
- Except for the maddening crowds at every store, and except for the idiots at Roosevelt Field mall and except for the madmen on the road today, it was a stellar day.
- He and his passengers were nearly wiped out a couple of times by the driver he referred to as a madman.
Synonyms
lunatic, maniac, psychotic, psychopath, schizophrenic
informal loony, nut, nutter, nutcase, nutjob, cuckoo, head case, basket case, headbanger, psycho, schizo, crank, crackpot
Scottish informal radge
North American informal screwball
US informal wing nut
North American & Australian/New Zealand informal dingbat
1.2Used in similes to refer to a person who does something very fast or intensely: I was working like a madman...
- Though his injuries were always an obstacle in his training, as soon as Dekkers was well, he was back in the gym, working like a madman on the heavy bag, doing the repetitions necessary to develop his power.
- After seeing the movie, and discovering that the tournament was moving to Brooklyn, I started practicing like a madman, downloading hundreds of old puzzles and buying up a bunch of books.
