Standard Lemma guide

craziness

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: K R EY1 Z IY0 N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being crazy; madness; derangement

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state of being broken down or weakened

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, uncountable, usually

Examples

  • the craziness of a ship, or of the limbs

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The result or product of being crazy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

foolish or senseless behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: folly, foolery, tomfoolery, lunacy, indulgence

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: play, frolic, romp, gambol, caper

Narrower terms: meshugaas, mishegaas, mishegoss, buffoonery, clowning, japery, frivolity, harlequinade, prank

5

noun

Meaning 5

the quality of being rash and foolish

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • trying to drive through a blizzard is the height of folly
  • adjusting to an insane society is total foolishness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: folly, foolishness, madness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stupidity

6

noun

Meaning 6

informal terms for insanity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: daftness, flakiness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: insanity

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English crazy Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English craziness From crazy + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: جُنان (junān) — madness
  • Arabic: تَخَلُّف (taḵalluf) — madness
  • Catalan: bogeria — madness
  • Catalan: insanitat — madness
  • Catalan: follia — madness
  • Georgian: სიგიჟე (sigiže) — madness
  • Georgian: სულით ავადმყოფობა (sulit avadmq̇opoba) — madness
  • Latin: vēsānia — madness
  • Latin: īnsānia — madness
  • Latin: īnsānitās — madness
  • Latin: vēcordia — madness
  • Latvian: vājprāts — madness
  • Latvian: ārprāts — madness
  • Latvian: trakums — madness
  • Plautdietsch: Domheit — madness
  • Spanish: locura — madness
  • Turkish: delilik — madness
  • Ottoman Turkish: جنت (cinnet) — madness
  • Ottoman Turkish: مجنونلق (mecnunluk) — madness