insane
adjective
in·sane
(ˌ)in-ˈsān 
1
a(1)
dated, now usually offensive
: exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind
(2)
law
: affected with insanity (see insanity sense 2)
criminally insane
b
: unable to think in a clear or sensible way
insane with jealousy
—not used technically
2
now usually offensive
: used by, typical of, or intended for people having a severely disordered state of mind
an insane asylum
3
: absurd
an insane scheme for making money
4
: outrageously high or extreme
making insane amounts of money
The monster truck pursued him at insane speeds …—
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. ThompsonMore than 22,000 athletes descend on Philadelphia's Franklin Field to chug insane amounts of Gatorade …—Chris Ballard
Chris Ballard
also
: exceptionally good or impressive
Minnesota … has blazed out to an insane start, taking an early lead in the Northwest Division. —Tom Wheatley
Tom Wheatley With his rough-edged baritone and ear for insane hooks, [reggae singer] Baby Cham always sounds wicked. —Rob Kenner
Rob Kenner Synonyms
- balmy
- barmy [chiefly British]
- bats
- batty
- bedlam
- bonkers
- brainsick
- bughouse [slang]
- certifiable
- crackbrained
- cracked
- crackers
- crackpot
- cranky [dialect]
- crazed
- crazy
- cuckoo
- daffy
- daft
- demented
- deranged
- fruity [slang]
- gaga
- haywire
- kooky
- kookie
- loco [slang]
- loony
- looney
- loony tunes
- looney tunes
- lunatic
- mad
- maniacal
- maniac
- mental
- meshuga
- meshugge
- meshugah
- meshuggah
- moonstruck
- non compos mentis
- nuts
- nutty
- psycho
- psychotic
- scatty [chiefly British]
- screwy
- unbalanced
- unhinged
- unsound
- wacko
- whacko
- wacky
- whacky
- wud [chiefly Scottish]
Examples of insane in a Sentence
The murderer was found to be criminally insane.
She was insane with jealousy.
He had an insane look in his eyes.
She likes to drive at insane speeds.
He had this insane idea that he could get rich by selling old computers.
Recent Examples on the Web
Your voice is insane.
—Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 4 Apr. 2023
The Republican and right-wing reaction is just insane.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 31 Mar. 2023
But obviously winning the grand jury prize was insane.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2023
That would be insane.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 29 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for insane 
Mary Colurso | McOlurso@al.com, al, 4 Apr. 2023
The Republican and right-wing reaction is just insane.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 31 Mar. 2023
But obviously winning the grand jury prize was insane.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2023
That would be insane.
—Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 29 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for insane
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'insane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near insane
Cite this Entry
“Insane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insane. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
insane
adjective
in·sane
(ˈ)in-ˈsān
1
usually offensive
: having or showing a severely disordered state of mind : not sane
—used especially in the past
an insane person
an insane look
2
usually offensive
: used by or for people having a severely disordered state of mind
an insane ward in a hospital
3
: extremely foolish or unreasonable
an insane attempt
insanely
adverb
Medical Definition
insane
adjective
in·sane
(ˈ)in-ˈsān
1
dated, now usually offensive
: exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind
2
law
: affected with insanity (see insanity sense 2)
insanely
adverb
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