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Meaning & use

craziness

noun·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˈkreɪzinəs/
US/ˈkreɪzinəs/

Meanings

  1. noununcountableinformal

    The state of being wildly unreasonable, chaotic or hard to believe, often used for a situation more than a person.

    Grammar: Uncountable: so much craziness, not 'a craziness'.

    Patterns

    • the craziness of something
    • all the craziness

    The craziness of the holiday rush left everyone exhausted.

    After all the craziness at work this week, I need a quiet weekend.

    He laughed at the sheer craziness of their plan.

  2. noununcountableinformalapproving

    A quality of being playfully wild, silly or full of energy, often in an enjoyable way.

    Grammar: Uncountable and often positive: the craziness of the party.

    Patterns

    • the craziness of something
    • join in the craziness

    The children's craziness filled the house with laughter.

    Their band is known for its on-stage craziness.

    I loved the craziness of the festival, with costumes everywhere.

Common combinations

sheer craziness
Climbing that cliff without ropes was sheer craziness.
all the craziness
With all the craziness this month, we forgot her birthday.
the craziness of life
She enjoyed the craziness of life in a big family.
pure craziness
Driving through that storm was pure craziness.
a bit of craziness
Every wedding has a bit of craziness before the ceremony.

Synonyms and how they differ

madness
Madness is stronger and can be serious or literary, while craziness is lighter and often used for chaotic situations.
chaos
Chaos stresses disorder and confusion, whereas craziness adds a sense that things are unreasonable or wild.
insanity
Insanity can describe extreme foolishness or a legal or medical condition, which makes it heavier than casual craziness.
silliness
Silliness is gentler and harmless, while craziness may imply something dangerous or extreme.

Opposites

sanitycalm

Word family

crazy adjective
unreasonable, wild or very enthusiastic
crazily adverb
in a wild or unreasonable way
craze noun
a short-lived fashion or enthusiasm
crazed adjective
wild and out of control, as if mad

Commonly confused: craziness or crazy?

craziness vs crazy

Crazy is the adjective, as in a crazy idea, while craziness is the noun naming the quality or state.

Practice

The ______ of the last week before the exams left the students exhausted. Which noun fits best?

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