madden

verb

mad·​den ˈma-dᵊn How to pronounce madden (audio)
maddened; maddening ˈmad-niŋ How to pronounce madden (audio)
ˈma-dᵊn-iŋ

intransitive verb

: to become or act as if mad

transitive verb

1
: to drive mad : craze
2
: to make intensely angry : enrage

Examples of madden in a Sentence

the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end
Recent Examples on the Web All of which means that delivering the satisfying, sink-into-your-sofa consolation of such shows involves a hectic, grueling, often maddening sprint to assemble new troupes of actors week after week, with casting directors receiving hundreds, sometimes thousands of submissions for every role. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 Lou is fiercely protective of her sister, maddened by Beth’s unwavering devotion to the husband who eventually lands her in hospital with a face banged up beyond recognition. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2024 Never Back Down has paid for only a single Facebook ad, in South Carolina, since late September and nothing on Google or YouTube since the end of October, maddening the campaign team. Nicholas Nehamas, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2023 The studios have been maddened by SAG’s lengthy presentations in the negotiating room, which felt, to some, like lectures. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2023 Prone to imbibe under pressure, our Hungarian expat celebrity ghost-hunter grows maddened by so many contradictory signals, till he’s thrown in the local drunk tank to sleep it off. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 Aug. 2023 But Lear, exhausted by his surroundings and maddened by injustice, resigns to silence. Meena Venkataramanan, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2023 Enter Email Sign Up That is exactly what has happened for this mediocre, often maddening Red Sox team. Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 16 June 2023 Ted seems to be not a character but a kind of powerful infection: his can-do aphorisms, which increase in good-natured absurdity in the course of the season, confuse and madden the dry Londoners. The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'madden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1704, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of madden was in 1704

Dictionary Entries Near madden

Cite this Entry

“Madden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/madden. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

madden

verb
mad·​den ˈmad-ᵊn How to pronounce madden (audio)
: to make mad : enrage

More from Merriam-Webster on madden

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