insanity

noun

in-ˈsa-nə-tē How to pronounce insanity (audio)
Definition of insanitynext
1
as in dementia
a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life his incurable insanity requires that he spend the rest of his life in a mental hospital

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absurdity
a foolish act or idea everyone laughed at the latest insanity from the town eccentric

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3
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment had the insanity to think that taking over a government building in protest of our foreign policy was a good idea

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insanity That insanity comes when Ron delivers a big presentation announcing the development of a mall in Canton, Ohio. — Barry Levitt, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 The law revised Kentucky’s insanity defense and mandatory reentry supervision rules in response to issues raised by Exantus’ case. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026 If certain compounds could seemingly induce the symptoms of insanity, then perhaps insanity was a result of faulty brain chemistry—and could thus be treated with psychiatric drugs. — Kimon De Greef, Longreads, 4 Aug. 2026 Proving that Clancy was not suffering from insanity could be especially challenging after the early testimony of her ex-husband and father of the children, Patrick Clancy. — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for insanity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insanity
  1. dementia
  2. absurdity
  3. madness
  4. hysteria
  5. stupidity
  6. simplicity
  7. schizophrenia
  8. idiocy
Noun
  • Yet when a parent develops dementia, can no longer live independently or suddenly needs care, millions of families are forced to navigate one of life’s most complex transitions largely on their own.
    — Samir Shah, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Lewy body dementia can progressively affect thinking, memory and behavior, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
    — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of dementia
Noun
  • Instead, the museum focuses on language, relationships, self-mockery, and life’s absurdities, with rakija served to visitors as the ultimate symbol of Balkan resilience.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Zinn also lived through some of the absurdities that Yossarian encountered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of absurdity
Noun
  • The morning of the wedding could be spent escaping the madness for a moment of peace among the trees, or arranging a pre-wedding morning coffee overlooking the estate.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Back in King’s Landing, Rhaenyra comes to find that her prisoner Helaena has taken her own life but left a parting gift for the queen that foreshadows a potential prophecy of Rhaenyra’s path towards madness.
    — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of madness
Noun
  • The wider track record is poor, women with multiple sclerosis were diagnosed with hysteria for decades before the disease was reliably recognized in them.
    — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Immediately after the trade was announced on Saturday night, hysteria swept through the baseball world.
    — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of hysteria
Noun
  • The latest contestant in this recurring game of fiscal stupidity is Miami.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That’s only made worse by the fact that it’s treated as some kind of grand betrayal rather than an impulsive act of youthful stupidity that will make for a good story one day.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of stupidity
Noun
  • The simplicity of the fire and forget mechanism allows its operators to launch large drone swarms to carry out coordinated attacks.
    — Abhishek Bhardwaj, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Protect Responsive Performance Responsive performance is a usability principle teams should not sacrifice for visual simplicity.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • Four days after the arrest, sources confirmed to Rolling Stone that Nick had been treated for schizophrenia before the shocking double homicide.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In the last three decades, as involuntary outpatient treatment for people with serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia have expanded to almost every state, the evidence for these programs’ efficacy has remained murky.
    — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of schizophrenia
Noun
  • It’s been a classic staple over decades of British comedy, which from Basil Fawlty to David Brent has rejoiced in puncturing pomposity to reveal idiocy and incompetence.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The school board’s radical idiocy does not negate the state’s obligation to think about the longer haul — specifically, the structurally unbalanced budgets facing Chicago Public Schools as far as the eye can see.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of idiocy

Browse Nearby Words

insanities
insanity
insatiable
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Cite this Entry

“Insanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insanity. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on insanity

Nglish: Translation of insanity for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about insanity

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