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mad

adj.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈmæd// UK //mˈæd// mad Archaic Dialect General-service Informal Slang

adj. feeling very angry or annoyed with someone. In some places, it can also mean that someone is mentally ill or acting very silly.

adj. feeling intense resentment or anger; alternatively, mentally deranged or foolish. Often used predicatively to describe a person's emotional state or cognitive health.


SIMPLE

Please don't be mad at me for being late.

CONTEXTUAL

He was so mad about the broken window that he refused to speak to anyone for the rest of the afternoon.

COMPLEX

The protagonist's descent into a mad obsession with the past eventually alienates his few remaining friends, leaving him isolated in his sprawling estate.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly takes the preposition 'at' when directed toward a person, or 'about' when directed toward a situation.

Pitfall

I am mad with youI am mad at youIn modern English, 'mad at' is the standard way to express anger toward a person; 'mad with' is usually reserved for emotions like 'mad with grief'.

Idioms6 entries

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