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to madden

to madden

6 5.3
To make someone very angry or annoyed
  • verb
  • /ˈmæd.ən/
translation icon : enfurecer
  • I was convinced the letters were in it, and it maddened me that I couldn't get at them.
  • maddened by pain
  • maddened by frustration
  • maddened creatures

Examples

  • A lawyer by training, Halleck found the absence of guidance maddening.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Others were running now, too, in blind panic, and she shouldered her way through a screaming, maddened mob.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • After all, the thought that your brother is waiting your return must be maddening

  • You see how you've maddened me?

  • Naturally, this caused some friends to smile at me in a consoling way, which I found maddening.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Schindler knows it's not Toffel's fault, but the whole situation is maddening to him.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • "You want specifics?" Doug was maddened by their stonewalling.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Like its previous defeats, the Wizards competed but also dealt with a maddening lack of consistency.

    Blog text (4)
  • The long wait at the airport maddens travelers who just want to get home.

  • His constant interruptions maddened her during the important meeting.

Synonyms

to drive (someone) crazy
vsto madden
  • Informal
271 3.9

Make someone very annoyed or upset

is similar but often emphasizes frustration rather than deep anger
to drive someone crazy
vsto madden
  • Informal
158 3.2

Make someone very annoyed or upset

tends to add anger and may include driving someone insane
to enrage
vsto madden
68 3.7

To make someone very angry

can also mean cause extreme annoyance or drive someone insane
to infuriate
vsto madden
46 5.0

Make someone very angry

can also mean cause strong annoyance or make someone lose their mind
to craze
vsto madden
1 7.1

To make someone lose their mind because of strong fear or anger

is broader, covering anger annoyance or driving someone insane
to madding
vsto madden
  • Archaic
9.9

To make someone feel angry or nearly crazy

is the common modern term covering anger or annoyance and driving insane

Antonyms

962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

63 3.4

To make someone feel calmer or reduce their pain

How Angry

to enrage
68 3.7
to madden
6 5.3
to anger
114 1.0
to annoy
246 1.0

Surface Forms

madden infinitive
maddened past
maddened past participle
maddening present participle
maddens third person singular

Morphology

madden = mad (transparent) = mad + en

The verb is a regular derivation from the adjective 'mad' with the productive causative/resultative suffix '-en' meaning 'make X'.

Etymology

Madden comes from the plain word mad meaning 'crazy' plus the ending -en that means 'to make'. So to madden someone is to 'make' them 'mad', which is why it means to make a person very angry or drive them crazy.