madden

madden — verb

1. to cause someone to feel extremely irritated or angry, especially when something

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to cause someone to feel extremely irritated or angry, especially when something is repeated, unfair, or beyond their control

Example

The constant noise from the construction site maddened residents of the apartment building.

passive: be maddened by [cause]

What maddens Felix most is that his supervisor never acknowledges the team's hard work.

What maddens + person + most + is + that-clause

Common collocations
  • madden + with + frustration
  • be maddened + by + unfair treatment
  • be maddened + at + someone's behaviour
Synonyms
  • infuriate

    similar intensity but more about provoking wild anger; from Latin 'furia' (rage)

  • enrage

    stronger than madden; implies the person is filled with rage

  • exasperate

    slightly milder; emphasises irritation that stretches patience to the limit

Antonyms
  • calm

    opposite emotional direction

  • soothe

    implies actively reducing anger or agitation

Grammar Patterns

madden + person

madden + person + by + doing

it maddens + person + that-clause

it maddens + person + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive (be maddened by/at) or with a dummy-it construction (It maddens me that/to…). More intense than 'annoy' and implies frustration that builds from repeated or unfair causes.

Common Mistakes

The noise maddened me a little.
The noise maddened me.
'madden' implies strong anger, not mild irritation. Use 'annoy' for slight feelings.
She maddened at the delay.
She was maddened by the delay.
'madden' is transitive and almost always used in the passive or with an object; it does not take a direct prepositional complement.

2. to cause someone to lose their sanity or mental stability, especially as a resul

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to cause someone to lose their sanity or mental stability, especially as a result of extreme suffering, trauma, or prolonged pressure

Example

The isolation of the polar winter nearly maddened the early explorers.

adverb: nearly madden

Grief maddened Lakan to the point where he could no longer recognize his friends.

madden + to the point where + clause

Common collocations
  • nearly madden
  • almost madden
  • madden with grief
  • permanently maddened
Synonyms
  • derange

    more clinical or literary; implies a disturbance of the mind

  • unhinge

    suggests an emotional break, often temporary; slightly informal

  • drive insane

    more conversational and literal; used in everyday language

Antonyms
  • soothe

    implies calming the mind back to stability

  • comfort

    suggests emotional relief rather than mental restoration

Grammar Patterns

madden + person

be maddened + by + extreme_suffering

nearly madden + person

Usage Note

Carries a sense of prolonged or severe suffering that overwhelms the mind. More literary than 'make crazy' and rare in everyday conversation. Often used with modifiers like 'nearly', 'almost', or 'permanently'.

Common Mistakes

The horror movie maddened me.
The horror movie terrified me.
'madden' means to cause actual insanity or a complete breakdown, not just fear or excitement.

Word family

  • mad
    adjectiveA2
  • maddening
    adjectiveB2
  • maddeningly
    adverbC1
  • madness
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe causing strong negative emotions, but they differ in intensity and nuance. 'Madden' suggests frustration that builds from repeated or unfair causes, overwhelming one's patience. 'Infuriate' is more intense, implying a provocation that sparks wild, uncontrollable anger (from Latin furia 'rage'). 'Enrage' goes even further — the person becomes full of rage, often losing self-control. 'Exasperate' is slightly milder; it emphasises irritation that stretches patience to the breaking point, usually from ongoing annoyance. Example: being stuck in traffic maddens most drivers, but a driver who is cut off is infuriated, while a spouse who hums constantly exasperates their partner.

madden ↗infuriateenrageexasperate

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • to the point where
  • beyond endurance

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed in English by adding the verb suffix '-en' to 'mad' (from Old English gemædde, meaning 'foolish' or 'insane'). The word originally meant 'to make insane' (14th century) and later developed the milder sense of 'to make very angry'.