mental

mental — adjective

1. connected with the mind, thoughts, and the ability to think and remember, rather

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

connected with the mind, thoughts, and the ability to think and remember, rather than with the physical body or feelings

Example

Jiwoo's mental picture of the new apartment was completely different from the real one.

collocation: mental picture

After two hours of mental arithmetic, Tara felt a headache coming on.

collocation: mental arithmetic

Common collocations
  • mental arithmetic
  • mental block
  • mental effort
  • mental health
  • mental note
  • mental picture
  • mental strength
Synonyms
  • intellectual

    focuses more on the ability to reason and understand complex ideas

  • cognitive

    more technical; relates to the scientific study of thinking and learning

  • psychological

    broader; includes emotions and behaviour, not just thinking

Antonyms
  • physical

    relating to the body rather than the mind

  • bodily

    concerning the physical body specifically

Grammar Patterns

mental + noun (effort, picture, block, arithmetic, note)

Usage Note

Common in fixed collocations such as mental picture, mental note, mental arithmetic, and mental block. The opposite is physical.

Common Mistakes

I need a mental about the problem.
I need to make a mental note of the problem.
Mental is an adjective, not a noun, so it must be followed by a noun.
He has a mental.' (meaning a mental health condition)
He has a mental health condition.
Using mental alone as a noun can sound disrespectful.

2. extremely lively busy or exciting, especially in a way that feels noisy or overw

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

extremely lively busy or exciting, especially in a way that feels noisy or overwhelming

Example

The night market was absolutely mental with music and crowds everywhere.

predicative: be + mental

Élise described her weekend in Seoul as a mental, non-stop adventure.

attributive: mental + noun (non-stop)

Common collocations
  • absolutely mental
  • completely mental
  • mental party
  • mental atmosphere
Synonyms
  • crazy

    more common in American English; same informal register

  • hectic

    less intense; focuses on busyness rather than excitement

  • intense

    can describe both positive and negative high-energy situations

Antonyms
  • calm

    quiet and relaxed, the opposite of wild and exciting

  • peaceful

    quiet and without disturbance

Grammar Patterns

be + mental (usually about a place or event)

Usage Note

Primarily used in British English in informal speech. Often describes events, parties, markets, or busy periods. Not suitable for formal writing.

Common Mistakes

The class was mental with learning.
The class was mental with noise and activity.
Mental for this sense describes busy excitement, not productive study.

3. very stupid or unreasonable, in a way that shows poor judgment

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

very stupid or unreasonable, in a way that shows poor judgment

Example

Selim called it a mental idea to go hiking during a typhoon warning.

Paying five thousand dollars for that old bicycle is completely mental.

pattern: it/that is + mental + infinitive clause

Common collocations
  • absolutely mental
  • completely mental
  • totally mental
  • mental idea
  • mental thing to do
Synonyms
  • stupid

    neutral and widely understood across all registers

  • idiotic

    stronger and more insulting than stupid

  • mindless

    focuses on lack of thought rather than lack of intelligence

Antonyms
  • sensible

    showing good judgment and reasonable thinking

  • reasonable

    fair and based on good sense

Grammar Patterns

be + mental (about a person, action, or idea)

Usage Note

Strongly negative. Can be offensive if used to describe a person directly (‘He’s mental’). Safer for learners to use stupid or foolish instead.

Common Mistakes

The weather is mental today.' (when meaning very bad)
The weather is terrible today.
Mental is not used for general bad weather; use appropriate adjectives like awful or terrible.

4. to suddenly become extremely angry and start shouting or behaving aggressively

4.adjectiveB2
Definition

to suddenly become extremely angry and start shouting or behaving aggressively

Example

Bilal went mental when he saw the scratches on his new car.

phrasal pattern: go + mental + when-clause

Aunt Rosa went mental after the neighbours' dog dug up her flowerbeds.

Common collocations
  • go mental about
  • go mental over
  • go completely mental
  • go absolutely mental
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

go + mental (about/over something)

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the pattern go mental. Never used attributively (you would not say ‘a mental reaction’ for this sense). The object of anger is introduced by about or over: go mental about the noise.

5. to become suddenly very excited and react in a wildly uncontrolled manner

5.adjectiveB2
Definition

to become suddenly very excited and react in a wildly uncontrolled manner

Example

The whole crowd went mental when the singer finally walked onto the stage.

phrasal pattern: go + mental (excitement)

The children went mental when their parents announced a trip to Disneyland.

Common collocations
  • go mental with excitement
  • go mental with joy
  • go completely mental
  • go absolutely mental
Synonyms
  • go wild

    slightly less intense; common in both British and American English

  • go crazy

    very similar meaning; more common in American English

Antonyms
  • stay calm

    to remain composed and not show strong excitement

  • keep quiet

    to not make noise or show strong emotion

Grammar Patterns

go + mental (with excitement/joy)

Usage Note

Closely related to sense 4 but describes excited rather than angry behaviour. Context makes the difference clear — if the trigger is positive (a goal, a surprise), the sense is excitement; if negative (damage, bad news), it is anger.

Common Mistakes

She went mental with her new job.' (unclear)
She went mental with excitement when she got the new job.
Add a context word like excitement or joy to make the positive meaning clear.

6. relating to the condition of a person's mind and the medical or social treatment

6.adjectiveB1
Definition

relating to the condition of a person's mind and the medical or social treatment of mental illnesses and disorders

Example

Putri has been visiting a mental health centre every week since last spring.

collocation: mental health centre

The government should spend more on mental health services for teenagers.

Common collocations
  • mental health
  • mental illness
  • mental disorder
  • mental hospital
  • mental health centre
  • mental health services
  • mental health condition
  • mental patient
Synonyms
  • psychological

    broader; includes emotional and behavioural aspects, not just illness

  • psychiatric

    specifically relates to medical diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

  • emotional

    focuses on feelings rather than the full range of mental functioning

Antonyms
  • physical

    relating to the body and bodily health

Grammar Patterns

mental + noun (health, illness, hospital, disorder, patient)

Usage Note

In modern usage, terms like mental health condition or mental illness are preferred over older, potentially offensive labels such as mental patient or mental institution, though the latter still appear in news and legal contexts.

Common Mistakes

He is mental.' (meaning he has a mental illness)
He has a mental health condition.
Describing someone as mental can be disrespectful; use person-first language instead.

Word family

  • mentally
    adverbB2
  • mentality
    nounB2
  • mentalist
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words relate to the non-physical aspects of human experience, but they differ in scope and context. Mental is the broadest everyday term, covering thoughts, memory, and reasoning (‘mental arithmetic’). Psychological includes emotions and behaviour as well as thinking, and is more common in clinical or academic contexts (‘psychological effects of stress’). Intellectual focuses on the ability to understand complex ideas and is often used admiringly (‘an intellectual debate’). Cognitive is more technical and describes the scientific study of mental processes like perception and memory (‘cognitive development in children’). Spiritual refers to religious or existential matters rather than thinking. For everyday use, mental is the safest choice; for a formal or clinical tone, use psychological or cognitive.

mental ↗psychological ↗intellectual ↗cognitive ↗spiritual ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • mental health
  • mental illness
  • mental state

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Mental comes from Latin mentalis, meaning ‘of the mind,' which is based on mens (mind). It entered English in the early 1400s through French, originally describing anything related to the intellect or inner thoughts. By the 1700s it was also being used in medical contexts for conditions of the mind.