Word Adverb
madly
adv.
manner
B1 Intermediate US /ˈmædɫi/ UK /mˈædli/ mad·ly
Definition
adv.to a very high degree or in an extremely excited way. You use it to show that someone is doing something with a lot of energy or strong emotion.
adv.to an extreme degree or in a frenzied, uncontrolled manner. Often used as an intensifier for verbs related to emotion or activity.
Examples
“They are madly in love with each other.”
“The scientists worked madly to finish the report before the midnight deadline.”
“The crowd cheered madly as the underdog team scored the winning goal in the final seconds of the championship match.”
Usage
Commonly functions as an intensifier for the adjective 'in love' or verbs of action.
Etymology
From Middle English madly, madli, medliche, equivalent to mad + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Origin Middle English madly
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated