INSANE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does insane mean? 

• INSANE (adjective)
  The adjective INSANE has 2 senses:

1. afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement

2. very foolish

  Familiarity information: INSANE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INSANE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement

Context example:

insane laughter

Similar:

maniac; maniacal (wildly disordered)

schizophrenic (suffering from some form of schizophrenia)

raving mad; wild (talking or behaving irrationally)

psychotic (characteristic of or suffering from psychosis)

psychopathic; psychopathologic; psychopathological (suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder)

paranoid (suffering from paranoia)

non compos mentis; of unsound mind (not of sound mind, memory, or understanding; in law, not competent to go to trial)

mentally ill; unsound; unstable (suffering from severe mental illness)

maniclike (resembling the mania of manic-depressive illness)

manic-depressive (suffering from a disorder characterized by alternating mania and depression)

lunatic; moonstruck (insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon)

hebephrenic (suffering from a form of schizophrenia characterized by foolish mannerisms and senseless laughter along with delusions and regressive behavior)

fey; touched (slightly insane)

crazed; deranged; half-crazed (driven insane)

crackbrained; idiotic (insanely irresponsible)

certifiable; certified (fit to be certified as insane (and treated accordingly))

brainsick; crazy; demented; disturbed; mad; sick; unbalanced; unhinged (affected with madness or insanity)

around the bend; balmy; barmy; bats; batty; bonkers; buggy; cracked; crackers; daft; dotty; fruity; haywire; kookie; kooky; loco; loony; loopy; nuts; nutty; round the bend; wacky; whacky (informal or slang terms for mentally irregular)

screw-loose; screwy (not behaving normally)

Also:

unreasonable (not reasonable; not showing good judgment)

irrational (not consistent with or using reason)

Antonym:

sane (mentally healthy; free from mental disorder)

Derivation:

insaneness (obsolete terms for legal insanity)

insanity (relatively permanent disorder of the mind)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Very foolish

Synonyms:

harebrained; insane; mad

Context example:

a completely mad scheme to build a bridge between two mountains

Similar:

foolish (devoid of good sense or judgment)

 Context examples 

Now he will pretend, no doubt, that I have said anything which he may invent which will corroborate his insane suspicions.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is probable, therefore, that the crime was either committed when insane, or that its immediate effect was to drive the unhappy woman out of her mind.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

No information could be got from the lady herself, who was temporarily insane from an acute attack of brain-fever.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Upon the reading of this letter, I made sure my colleague was insane; but till that was proved beyond the possibility of doubt, I felt bound to do as he requested.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

For several minutes he was to all intents insane.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Remember how few minutes I was at Randalls, and in how bewildered, how mad a state: and I am not much better yet; still insane either from happiness or misery.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

And even while I was oppressed by the enormity of my sin,—for sin it was,—I chuckled with an insane delight.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

I only entertained the intention for a moment; for, not being insane, the crisis of exquisite and unalloyed despair, which had originated the wish and design of self-destruction, was past in a second.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

This month will favor you so much for finding and enjoying love that it’s insane, dear Virgo.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

What does it all mean? I am beginning to wonder if my long habit of life amongst the insane is beginning to tell upon my own brain.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)