insane
insane Lexical Profile
insane Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Extremely foolish, irrational, reckless, or utterly senseless.
"Attempting to climb the mountain peak during a winter blizzard would be an insane decision."
Shockingly extreme, excessive, or remarkable in degree, amount, or intensity (informal).
"The software startup grew at an insane pace during its first year of operation."
In a state of severe mental illness that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; in legal contexts, unable to understand the nature of one's actions or distinguish right from wrong.
"The defense attorney argued that the defendant was legally insane at the time of the offense."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern clinical psychology and psychiatry, "insane" is no longer used as a medical diagnosis; its formal use is largely restricted to legal contexts (such as the "insanity defense") to indicate an inability to distinguish right from wrong.
• Rhymes for insane
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-16th century from Latin insanus ('unsound in mind, mad, outrageous'), formed from the privative prefix in- ('not') and sanus ('healthy, sound').