1
as in to bother
to cause to go insane or as if insane
the endless swarms of mosquitoes all but maddened the explorers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to infuriate
to make angry
her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of madden
Rachel and Irvi found these reactions maddening.
—
Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
But of all the strange and maddening messages posted around this city, there was one particular type of billboard that the people of San Francisco couldn’t bear.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Our winter season continues with Adina Hoffman (recipient of a 2013 Windham-Campbell Prize for Nonfiction) chatting with Michael Kelleher about Georges Perec’s magical and mercurial and maddening An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, translated by Marc Lowenthal.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
This resulted in an ensemble of complex, often maddening characters.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madden
Caitlin Dickerson, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
But of all the strange and maddening messages posted around this city, there was one particular type of billboard that the people of San Francisco couldn’t bear.
—Sam Kriss, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Our winter season continues with Adina Hoffman (recipient of a 2013 Windham-Campbell Prize for Nonfiction) chatting with Michael Kelleher about Georges Perec’s magical and mercurial and maddening An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, translated by Marc Lowenthal.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
This resulted in an ensemble of complex, often maddening characters.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for madden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for madden
Verb
-
With Minnesota viewing them as soft, the Nuggets hardly seem bothered by the criticism.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Fuqua and Logan can’t be bothered to figure it out.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Hart’s stance infuriated some of his liberal supporters and sparked a Michigan recall petition to oust him from the Senate.—
John T. Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Genuine labor advocates are infuriated by its decline, which has proceeded under Republican and Democratic administrations alike.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Imagine the type of conviction Jon-Eric Sullivan must have in Kadyn Proctor to have his first-round selection disappoint, if not anger most of his South Florida fan base?—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Trump faces record-low approval ratings, while Washington’s war on Iran, which has sent US gasoline prices spiking, has further angered voters.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ty Segall exemplifies the modern indie rock experimentalist, constantly trying out new styles and attitudes and usually landing on some intense neopsychedelic sounds that can both comfort and disturb.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The culmination of the story is Michael revealing on stage that this would be the Jacksons' last show together, enraging his father Joe Jackson (Colman Domingo).—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Lyman said the amount of grief had shocked and enraged her.—
Ariane Lange,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Old luggage barcode stickers can confuse airline systems and increase the risk of bags being misrouted or delayed.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Directness is often confused with insensitivity.—
Jonathan Alpert OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the president doesn’t get annoyed with him once or twice.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Maybe annoyed enough to fix it.—
Nathan Edwards,
The Verge,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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For all their faults, looksmaxxers are intent on de-fetishizing this particular commodity, revealing beauty to be the product of strenuous (and often deranging) labor.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Madden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madden. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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