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May vs Mad - What's the difference?

may | mad |

As a noun may

is mummy, mother.

As a pronoun mad is

.

may

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) , Icelandic mega, megum. See also might.

Verb

  • (obsolete) To be strong; to have power (over).
  • (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can.
  • *, II.3.6:
  • But many timeswe give way to passions we may resist and will not.
  • (poetic) To be able to go.
  • * 1600 , (William Shakespeare), (w, A Midsummer Night's Dream) , III.3:
  • O weary night, O long and tedious night, / Abate thy houres, shine comforts from the East, / That I may backe to Athens by day-light […].
  • (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests.
  • (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 1, author=Phil Dawkes, work=BBC Sport
  • , title=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/15045630.stm Sunderland 2-2 West Brom] , passage=The result may not quite give the Wearsiders a sweet ending to what has been a sour week, following allegations of sexual assault and drug possession against defender Titus Bramble, but it does at least demonstrate that their spirit remains strong in the face of adversity.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title=[http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21580518-terrible-name-interesting-trend-rise-smart-beta The rise of smart beta] , passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}
  • (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).
  • * 1974 , (Bob Dylan),
  • May' God bless and keep you always / '''May''' your wishes all come true / '''May''' you always do for others / And let others do for you / '''May''' you build a ladder to the stars / And climb on every rung / ' May you stay forever young
  • * Prior
  • How old may Phillis be, you ask.
    Usage notes
    * (term) is now a defective verb. It has no infinitive, no past participle, and no future tense. Forms of (to be allowed to) are used to replace these missing tenses. * The simple past (both indicative and subjunctive) of (may) is (might) * The present tense is negated as (may) (not), which can be contracted to (term, mayn't), although this is old-fashioned; the simple past is negated as (might) (not), which can be contracted to (term, mightn't). * (term) has archaic second-person singular present indicative forms (mayest) and (mayst). * Usage of this word in the sense of (possibly) is considered incorrect by some speakers and writers, as it blurs the meaning of the word in the sense have permission to . These speakers and writers prefer to use the word (might) instead. * Wishes are often cast in the imperative rather than the subjunctive mood, not using the word (may), as in Have a great day!'' rather than ''May you have a great day .
    Synonyms
    * (have permission to) can, could, might * (possibly) could, might * (in subjunctive) might
    Derived terms
    * as the case may be * be it as it may, be that as it may, be this as it may * come what may * devil-may-care * if I may * I may not but * it may well with, may well with * let the chips fall where they may * may as well * maybe * may chance * may-fall * may-fortune * mayhap * mayhappen * may I? * may-issue * mayn't * may you live in interesting times * that is as may be, that's as may be * * what-you-may-call-it

    See also

    *

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) mai, so called because it blossoms in (May).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The hawthorn bush or its blossoms.
  • Derived terms
    * *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To gather may.
  • * 1922 , , VII, lines 1-2
  • In valleys green and still / Where lovers wander maying

    Statistics

    *

    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 […].