mad
gb/mˈæd/ us/mˈæd/
A2
English
~ 2600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
informal
A2
property
1
angry or upset
Feeling very angry.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is mad (at/about [something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mad' meaning 'angry' with 'mad' meaning 'crazy', especially in British English where 'mad' usually means 'crazy'.
Synonyms
angry (Neutral and standard term for feeling displeasure.)
|
upset (Less intense and more about emotional disturbance than anger.)
Antonyms
calm (Not feeling anger or agitation.)
Collocations
mad at someone
|mad about something
|get mad
|make someone mad
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She was mad at her brother for breaking her phone.
- I get mad when people cut in line.
- He’s still mad about what happened last night.
- Don’t make me mad by lying to me.
Learner examples
- I am mad at my friend.
- She is mad about the noise.
- He gets mad when he is late.
- They are mad at their teacher.
adjective
B1
property
2
mentally ill or insane
Having a serious mental problem, or acting in a very strange way.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is mad
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'mad' meaning 'angry' when they mean 'mentally ill', leading to misunderstanding, especially in British English.
Synonyms
insane (Stronger and more formal term for severe mental illness.)
|
crazy (Informal and less clinical, often exaggeration.)
Antonyms
sane (Having a healthy mind; reasonable.)
Collocations
go mad
|drive someone mad
|completely mad
Themes
health
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The idea of walking across the desert without water is mad.
- He went completely mad after losing his fortune.
- They thought she was mad to quit her job without another one lined up.
Learner examples
- The man is mad and needs help.
- It is mad to run in the snow without shoes.
- She went mad after the bad news.
adjective
informal
B1
property
3
very enthusiastic about something
Liking something very much.
Usage pattern:
mad about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'mad about' meaning 'angry about' with 'mad about' meaning 'enthusiastic about', so context is important.
Synonyms
passionate (Strong emotion or enthusiasm, often more formal.)
|
crazy about (Informal equivalent, often interchangeable with this sense.)
Antonyms
indifferent (Not caring about something.)
Collocations
mad about sports
|mad about music
|mad about someone
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He’s mad about football and watches every game.
- She’s mad about chocolate ice cream.
- I’ve been mad about this band since I was a teenager.
Learner examples
- I am mad about pizza.
- She is mad about dancing.
- They are mad about the new movie.
adjective
informal
B2
property
4
foolish or risky
Very silly or dangerous and likely to cause problems.
Synonyms
reckless (Acting without thinking of the danger.)
|
foolish (Lacking good sense or judgment.)
Antonyms
sensible (Showing good sense and judgment.)
Collocations
mad idea
|mad risk
|mad scheme
Themes
emotions
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It’s a mad plan to drive through the storm.
- They took a mad risk investing all their money in one company.
- Climbing that mountain without proper gear is just mad.
Learner examples
- It is a mad idea to go there now.
- He made a mad choice to swim at night.
- That was a mad thing to do.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mad
IPA
GB/mˈæd/
US/mˈæd/
Syllables & stress
mad (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mad)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: mad
- Comparative: madder
- Superlative: maddest
Word family
Forms
madder
adjective
maddest
adjective
Related words
madden
verb
maddening
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular comparative: madder Adjective
- Irregular superlative: maddest Adjective
Expressions
drive someone mad
1/dɹˈaɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn mˈæd/
idiom
informal
make someone annoyed or crazy
To make someone very annoyed or upset.
Examples
- The constant noise is driving me mad.
- Her questions are driving him mad.
go mad
1/ɡˈoʊ mˈæd/
idiom
informal
become insane or very angry/excited
To become mentally ill, or very angry or excited.
Examples
- He went mad after losing his job.
- The crowd went mad when the team scored the final goal.
like mad
1/lˈaɪk mˈæd/
idiom
informal
with great energy or speed
Very fast, hard, or much.
Examples
- They were running like mad to catch the bus.
- She’s been studying like mad for the exam.
mad about someone/something
1/mˈæd əbˈaʊt sˈoʊmˈoʊnsəmˈɛθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
very fond of or enthusiastic about someone/something
To like someone or something very much.
Examples
- She’s mad about her new puppy.
- He’s mad about jazz music.