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Crazy vs Mad - What's the difference?

crazy | mad |

As adjectives the difference between crazy and mad

is that crazy is insane; lunatic; demented while mad is insane; crazy, mentally deranged.

As adverbs the difference between crazy and mad

is that crazy is very, extremely while mad is intensifier; to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly; very; unbelievably.

As a noun crazy

is an insane or eccentric person; a crackpot.

As a verb mad is

to madden, to anger, to frustrate.

As an acronym MAD is

mutually assured destruction.

crazy

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Insane; lunatic; demented.
  • * 1663 , (Samuel Butler), (Hudibras)
    • Over moist and crazy brains.
  • * , chapter=5
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=Of all the queer collections of humans outside of a crazy asylum, it seemed to me this sanitarium was the cup winner. […] When you're well enough off so's you don't have to fret about anything but your heft or your diseases you begin to get queer, I suppose.}}
  • Out of control.
  • Overly excited or enthusiastic.
  • * R. B. Kimball
    • The girls were crazy to be introduced to him.
  • In love; experiencing romantic feelings.
  • (informal) Unexpected; surprising.
  • Characterized by weakness or feebleness; decrepit; broken; falling to decay; shaky; unsafe.
  • * Macaulay
    • Piles of mean and crazy houses.
  • * Addison
    • One of great riches, but a crazy constitution.
  • * Jeffrey
    • They got a crazy boat to carry them to the island.

    Synonyms

    * * (out of control) (l) * deranged * zany * loco

    Derived terms

    * craze * crazily * craziness * crazing * crazy bone * crazy like a fox * crazy mad * crazy paving * crazy quilt * like crazy

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (slang) Very, extremely.
    • ''That trick was crazy good

    Noun

    (crazies)
  • An insane or eccentric person; a crackpot.

    • Synonyms

    * lunatic * mad man * nut ball * nut case

    See also

    * (wikipedia "crazy") English degree adverbs

    mad

    English

    Adjective

    (madder)
  • Insane; crazy, mentally deranged.
  • * Shakespeare
    • I have heard my grandsire say full oft, / Extremity of griefs would make men mad .
  • Angry, annoyed.
  • * , chapter=6
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=She was so mad she wouldn't speak to me for quite a spell, but at last I coaxed her into going up to Miss Emmeline's room and fetching down a tintype of the missing Deacon man.}}
  • Wildly confused or excited.
    • to be mad with terror, lust, or hatred
  • * Bible, Jer. 1. 88
    • It is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols.
  • * 1787: The Fair Syrian, R. Bage, p.314
    • My brother, quiet as a cat, seems perfectly contented with the internal feelings of his felicity. The Marquis, mad as a kitten, is all in motion to express it, from tongue to heel.
  • Extremely foolish or unwise; irrational; imprudent.
  • Extremely enthusiastic about; crazy about; infatuated with; overcome with desire for.
  • (of animals) Abnormally ferocious or furious; or, rabid, affected with rabies.
  • (slang, chiefly Northeastern US) Intensifier, signifies an abundance or high quality of a thing; , much or many.
  • (of a compass needle) Having impaired polarity.

    • Usage notes

    While within the United States and Canada, the word mad'' ''does'' generally imply ''anger'' rather than insanity, such usage is still considered informal. Furthermore, if one is described as having "gone mad" or "went mad", this will unquestionably be taken as denoting ''insanity''''', and not anger. Meanwhile, if one "is mad at" something or has "been mad about" something, it will be assumed that they are '''''angered'' rather than insane. In addition, if the word is understood as being used literally, it will most likely be taken as meaning "insane". Also, in addition to the former, such derivatives as "madness", "madman", "madhouse" and "madly" ''purely denote insanity, irrespective of whether one is in the Commonwealth or in the United States. Lastly, within Commonwealth countries other than Canada, mad'' typically implies the ''insane'' or ''crazy'' sense more so than the ''angry sense.

    Synonyms

    * (insane) See also * (angry) See also * wicked, mighty, kinda, , hella.

    Adverb

    (-)
  • (slang, New England, New York, and, UK, dialect) Intensifier; to a large degree; extremely; exceedingly; very; unbelievably.
    • He was driving mad slow.
    It's mad hot today.
    He seems mad keen on her.

    Synonyms

    * hella; helluv;

    Derived terms

    * mad as a hatter * madden * madding * madhouse * madly

    Verb

    (madd)
  • To madden, to anger, to frustrate.
  • * c''. 1595 , (William Shakespeare), '' , Act V Scene 5:
    • This musick mads me, let it sound no more.
  • *, I.2.4.iv:
    • He that mads others, if he were so humoured, would be as mad himself, as much grieved and tormented […].

    Anagrams

    * * * * English degree adverbs English intensifiers English three-letter words ----