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madhouse

madhouse

26 8.0
A very noisy, chaotic place often used to describe a mental hospital or busy shop
  • noun
  • /ˈmædˌhaʊs/
  • Offensive
translation icon : manicomio
  • As Charlton Heston once said in a movie, "It's a madhouse, a madhouse."

And when you're one of my friends has got a saying, if you're the only sane man in a madhouse, you're the crazy one.

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Examples

  • "It's been such a madhouse I haven't gone into your office since lunchtime."

    Fiction book (1994)
  • After that, the bar became a madhouse, so I called it a night and left.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • We are hearing it's an absolute madhouse out there.

  • The city will be a madhouse.

  • I'm sorry, hon, it's a madhouse here today.

  • lt's been a madhouse here all morning.

  • I know it's my senior year, but this place is a madhouse, and home won't be much better.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • We are in a madhouse, and the lunatic liberals are in charge of the asylum.

    Blog text (34)
  • We are as good as dead in this madhouse—they cannot help us now.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • During the holiday season, the store turned into a madhouse as shoppers rushed to find the best deals.

Synonyms

nuthouse
vsmadhouse
  • Offensive
13 9.9

A rude informal word for a hospital for people with mental illness

uses pejorative language but is more general and not slangy
Bedlam
vsmadhouse
4 9.2

A noisy place where many people shout and act in a confused way

is a negative label that targets institutions and noisy chaos
funhouse
vsmadhouse
  • Informal
3 4.8

A chaotic, confusing situation like the strange rooms in a fair attraction

is an insulting term with negative intent, not playful
snake pit
vsmadhouse
  • Informal
3 7.3

An unpleasant, chaotic place where people act badly toward each other

emphasizes chaos but targets institutions rather than general hostility
sanatorium
vsmadhouse
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A hospital where people with mental illness lived and got treatment in the past

is a pejorative term often used figuratively for chaos
mental home
vsmadhouse
  • Archaic
1 6.1

A hospital for people who cannot look after themselves because of mental illness

is a pejorative word used to insult places or situations

Antonyms

505 1.5

A state where people follow rules and behave calmly

123 3.3

A healthy mind that can think clearly and behave normally

How Chaotic

Bedlam
4 9.2
madhouse
  • Offensive
26 8.0
noisy
125 1.0
busy
1.0
peaceful
428 1.0

Surface Forms

madhouse singular
madhouses plural

Morphology

madhouse = mad + house (transparent) = mad + house

Formed directly from 'mad' + 'house' with the clear meaning 'a house for mad people', extended metaphorically to mean any chaotic or noisy place.

Etymology

Madhouse is simply mad + house, where mad means 'crazy'; it once named a house for people with mental illness, so it literally meant a place for the 'mad'. That's why it can mean a mental institution and is also used as a strong image for any place that is very noisy or chaotic.