Meaning & use
mad
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformalAmerican
Feeling or showing strong anger or annoyance, especially in American speech.
Grammar: Used after a verb and often followed by at or about: mad at him.
Patterns
- be mad at someone
- be mad about something
- get mad
Dad was mad at me for leaving the gate open.
She got so mad that she slammed the door.
Don't be mad about the missed call; I was in a meeting.
adjectivecomparableold-fashionedoffensive
Mentally ill, or acting in a wild and unreasonable way.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after a verb: a mad plan.
The villagers called the old man mad because he talked to the trees.
It was a mad idea to cross the river in the dark.
The king in the story slowly goes mad with grief.
adjectivecomparableinformalBritish
Extremely foolish or reckless.
Grammar: Often used with a noun: a mad scheme.
You'd be mad to turn down such a good offer.
Climbing in this weather is absolutely mad.
It sounds mad, but the plan might actually work.
adjectiveafter a verbinformalBritish
Very enthusiastic about or fond of something.
Grammar: Takes about or on: mad about football.
Patterns
- be mad about something
- be mad on something
My little brother is mad about dinosaurs.
She is mad on horses and spends every weekend at the stables.
They are mad for jazz and own hundreds of records.
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Chaotic, hectic, and full of frantic activity.
Grammar: Used before nouns like rush or dash.
There was a mad rush for the exits when the alarm sounded.
We made a mad dash for the last train.
The kitchen was a mad scramble at lunchtime.
Word forms
| comparative | madder |
|---|---|
| superlative | maddest |
Common combinations
- mad at
- She was mad at herself for forgetting the keys.
- get mad
- Don't get mad; it was an accident.
- mad dash
- We made a mad dash to the airport.
- mad about
- He is mad about cooking.
- drive someone mad
- The noise from next door is driving me mad.
- stark raving mad
- You must be stark raving mad to go out in that storm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- angry
- Angry is neutral and works in all situations, while mad is more casual and mainly American for this sense.
- furious
- Furious is stronger and means extremely angry, whereas mad can be mild annoyance.
- crazy
- Crazy is an informal word for foolish or wild, and like mad it can offend when used about mental illness.
- upset
- Upset suggests sadness or being disturbed, not necessarily anger.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: mad or angry?
mad vs angry
In British English, mad at someone is less common and may sound as if you think they are insane, so angry or cross is safer there.
Practice
In American English, which sentence means the speaker was angry?
Choose one answer.
Mad at someone means angry in American speech. Mad about jazz means keen, mad to go means foolish, and mad dash means frantic.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mad”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.