Standard Lemma guide

madwoman

noun · 2 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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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A woman who is insane or mentally disturbed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a woman lunatic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lunatic, madman, maniac

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English mad Proto-Germanic *wībą Proto-West Germanic *wīb Old English wīf Proto-Indo-European *mon- Proto-Germanic *mann- Proto-West Germanic *mann Old English mann Old English wīfmann Middle English woman Middle English -woman English -woman English madwoman From mad + -woman.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: šílená žena — a woman who is insane
  • Dutch: gekkin — a woman who is insane
  • Dutch: zottin — a woman who is insane
  • French: folle — a woman who is insane
  • German: Irre — a woman who is insane
  • German: Wahnsinnige — a woman who is insane
  • German: Verrückte — a woman who is insane
  • Italian: matta — a woman who is insane
  • Italian: pazza — a woman who is insane
  • Mauritian Creole: fol — a woman who is insane
  • Norman: folle — a woman who is insane
  • Polish: nienormalna — a woman who is insane
  • Polish: szajbuska — a woman who is insane
  • Polish: wariatka — a woman who is insane
  • Portuguese: doida — a woman who is insane
  • Portuguese: louca — a woman who is insane
  • Portuguese: maluca — a woman who is insane
  • Russian: безу́мная (bezúmnaja) — a woman who is insane
  • Russian: сумасше́дшая (sumasšédšaja) — a woman who is insane
  • Spanish: loca — a woman who is insane
  • Telugu: వెర్రిది (verridi) — a woman who is insane
  • Ottoman Turkish: دلی (deli) — a woman who is insane