ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lunatic

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈɫunəˌtɪk// UK //lˈuːnətˌɪk// lu·natic Archaic Literary

n. a person who acts in a very wild, foolish, or dangerous way. It is an old-fashioned word that can be quite rude if used to describe someone with a mental illness.

n. a person who is mentally ill, or one who behaves in an extremely reckless or foolish manner. Historically used in a medical or legal context, though now primarily used as a pejorative or informal descriptor for irrationality.


SIMPLE

He drives like a lunatic on the highway.

CONTEXTUAL

The neighbors thought he was a lunatic for trying to build a giant boat in his tiny backyard.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English lunatik, from Old French lunatique, from Late Latin lunaticus (“moonstruck”), derived from Latin luna (“moon”), the connection stemming from the belief that changes of the moon caused intermittent insanity.

Usage

Often used metaphorically in modern English to describe reckless drivers or people with wild ideas.

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