madder
madder Lexical Profile
madder Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Experiencing or expressing a greater degree of anger, annoyance, or fury.
"She was already upset about the delay, but the rude customer service made her even madder."
Exhibiting a greater degree of insanity, foolishness, or irrationality.
"The plot of the surrealist film grew madder with every passing scene."
• noun
A deep red or purplish-red pigment or dye originally obtained from the root of the madder plant, or the color resembling this dye.
"The painter mixed a touch of rose madder to give the sunset sky a deeper, richer hue."
A Eurasian climbing herbaceous plant (Rubia tinctorum) belonging to the bedstraw family, characterized by whorled leaves, yellowish flowers, and historically cultivated for its roots.
"During the Middle Ages, madder was widely grown across Europe to supply the textile industry."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Madder" functions as a homograph: it is the comparative form of the adjective "mad" (more angry or insane) as well as a distinct noun referring to a specific plant and its red dye.
• Rhymes for madder
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The noun comes from Old English 'mædere', of Germanic origin. The adjective is the comparative form of 'mad', which derives from Old English 'gemǣd' (insane or severely impaired).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.