Definitions

like mad

ADJECTIVE

fast

Synonyms

STRONGEST

agile brisk hot nimble quick rapid swift

STRONG

accelerated active dashing electric flashing fleet fleeting flying hurried racing ready snap split-second winged

WEAK

PDQ blue streak breakneck double-time expeditious expeditive hairtrigger hasty hypersonic in a jiffy in nothing flat lickety split like a bat out of hell like all get out like crazy on the double posthaste presto pronto screamin' snappy speedball supersonic velocious

Antonyms

STRONGEST

clumsy slow

STRONG

dull

WEAK

plodding tardy unhurried

ADJECTIVE

madly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

crazily desperately energetically excitedly foolishly frantically furiously hastily hysterically intensely passionately recklessly tumultuously violently

STRONG

dementedly insanely

WEAK

absurdly deliriously devotedly distractedly exceedingly excessively extremely frenziedly hard hurriedly irrationally ludicrously nonsensically psychotically quickly rabidly rapidly rashly senselessly something fierce speedily stormily to distraction turbulently unreasonably

Antonyms

WEAK

calmly normally

ADJECTIVE

swift

Synonyms

STRONGEST

abrupt expeditious hasty nimble quick rapid speedy sudden unexpected

STRONG

cracking express fleet flying precipitate prompt ready screaming short spanking

WEAK

alacritous barrelling breakneck double-quick fleet-footed headlong hurried in nothing flat like crazy on the double pronto shaking a leg short-lived snappy speedball supersonic winged

Antonyms

STRONGEST

delayed expected lazy leisurely slow

WEAK

sluggish

ADVERB

desperately

Synonyms

STRONGEST

badly dangerously fiercely greatly perilously seriously

WEAK

carelessly dramatically gravely harmfully hysterically like crazy

Antonyms

STRONGEST

mildly

WEAK

calmly easily trivially

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You probably think the stock market has been wrenching up and down like mad since the Iran war started at the end of February.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

"We're patching like mad," is what one retailer told the BBC.

From BBC • May 1, 2025

The former Beatle was estranged from Yoko Ono at the time and wasn’t aware she was in the crowd, which roared like mad when Lennon appeared.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024

Mahomes celebrated winning by sprinting like mad into the end zone.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 11, 2024

But Phineas and his assistant have done this a thousand times—pour the powder, set the fuse, pour the sand, tamp the sand plug, shout a warning, light the fuse, and run like mad.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

like mad

Example Sentences

Related Words