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View synonyms for insane

insane

[ in-seyn ]

adjective

  1. (not in technical use as a medical diagnosis) not sane; not of sound mind; mentally deranged.

    Synonyms: irrational, foolish, maniacal, crazy, crazed, lunatic, demented

  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a person who is mentally deranged:

    a wild and insane look on her face.

  3. Law. considered to be or to have been affected with insanity, and therefore lacking legal responsibility or legal capacity:

    The judge deemed him criminally insane on the basis of his delusions and hallucinations.

  4. temporarily unable to think clearly:

    I think I'm going insane from all the noise outside.

  5. utterly senseless:

    an insane plan.

  6. Slang. excessive or extravagant; extreme:

    This much snow in April is just insane!

  7. Slang. astonishingly great; wonderful:

    Without his insane performance, the film would've been a total flop.



insane

/ ɪnˈseɪn /

adjective

    1. mentally deranged; crazy; of unsound mind
    2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the insane

  1. characteristic of a person of unsound mind

    an insane stare

  2. irresponsible; very foolish; stupid
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • inˈsanely, adverb
  • inˈsaneness, noun
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Other Words From

  • in·sane·ly adverb
  • in·sane·ness noun
  • pseu·do·in·sane adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of insane1

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin insānus “unsound (of mind), demented, frenzied”; in- 3, sane
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Synonym Study

See mad.
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Example Sentences

There was no other option but to just go, “Life is insane and aren’t we all a mess? Let’s be a mess together.”

“Dude, it’s insane,” he says with a laugh.

“It took a lot of magic for that to happen. And the fact that anyone would refer to this as ‘Barry’s winter’ — which I would never say about myself — is absolutely insane to me.”

Yet Lu — sporting copper-dyed hair and a Hello Kitty guitar capable of insane noise — locked onto something distinctly young in her music.

“It was the most insane thing. But this is to say that you just get onstage and do whatever you can to get seen, to build your résumé.”

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