insane
gb/ɪnsˈeɪn/ us/ɪnsˈeɪn/
B1
Inglés
~ 1900
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
informal
B1
property
1
Extremely foolish or unreasonable
Very silly or unreasonable; not making sense.
Patrón de uso:
[someone/something] is insane
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the medical sense of 'mentally ill', which is less common in everyday speech.
Sinónimos
crazy (Common informal synonym; slightly more casual and versatile.)
|
ridiculous (Focuses on being absurd rather than irrational.)
Antónimos
sensible (Emphasizes sound judgment and reason, the opposite of foolishness.)
Colocaciones
insane idea
|insane plan
|insane amount
|insane price
|insane speed
Temas
emotions
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- That was an insane amount of money to spend on shoes.
- Driving that fast in the rain is insane.
- The plot twist in the movie was absolutely insane.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- It is insane to walk on the road at night without lights.
- That game was insane and very exciting.
- He paid an insane price for the watch.
adjective
B2
state
2
Having a severe mental illness
Having a serious mental illness that changes how someone thinks or acts.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is insane
Error frecuente:
Learners often overuse this meaning in casual contexts where 'crazy' or 'ridiculous' would be more appropriate.
Sinónimos
psychotic (Medical term referring to severe mental disorders involving loss of contact with reality.)
Antónimos
sane (Means having normal mental health and sound judgment.)
Colocaciones
legally insane
|declared insane
|mentally insane
Temas
health
|law
|emotions
Ejemplos
- The court found him legally insane at the time of the crime.
- She was diagnosed as insane after a long evaluation.
- They claimed he was insane and needed treatment.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The man was declared insane by the doctor.
- She is insane and cannot take care of herself.
- The judge said he was legally insane.
adjective
informal
B2
property
3
Extremely impressive or exciting
Very exciting or amazing; hard to believe because it is so good or extreme.
Patrón de uso:
[something] is insane
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this with the negative senses of 'insane', but here it is positive slang for 'amazing'.
Sinónimos
amazing (Highlights admiration without the informal exaggeration.)
|
incredible (Focuses on being hard to believe due to excellence.)
Antónimos
boring (Describes something dull and unexciting, opposite in emotional impact.)
Colocaciones
insane performance
|insane talent
|insane skill
Temas
emotions
|entertainment
|core_vocabulary
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Ejemplos
- The guitarist gave an insane performance last night.
- That roller coaster has some insane drops.
- Her cooking skills are absolutely insane.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The show last night was insane.
- He has insane skills in basketball.
- The party was insane and fun.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
insane
AFI
GB/ɪnsˈeɪn/
US/ɪnsˈeɪn/
Sílabas y acento
in - sane (2 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (sane)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: insane
Familia de palabras
Core family
insanely
adverb
insanity
noun
Negative and opposite forms
Expresiones
drive someone insane
1/dɹˈaɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ɪnsˈeɪn/
idiom
informal
Make someone extremely annoyed or stressed
To make someone feel very annoyed, upset, or mentally tired.
Ejemplos
- The constant noise is driving me insane.
- Her endless questions were driving him insane.
go insane
1/ɡˈoʊ ɪnsˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
Become mentally ill or irrational
To become mentally ill or start acting in a very strange way.
Ejemplos
- He nearly went insane after months of isolation.
- She thought she would go insane if the noise didn’t stop.
insane asylum
1/ɪnsˈeɪn əsˈaɪləm/
fixed phrase
archaic
Old term for psychiatric hospital
An old term for a hospital where people with serious mental illness lived and got treatment.
Ejemplos
- In the past, many were sent to an insane asylum for life.
- The horror film is set in an abandoned insane asylum.
- The novel is set in an old insane asylum.
- In the early 1900s, many people were sent to insane asylums for minor conditions.