crazy
crazy
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "crazy" is /ˈkreɪzi/.
First syllable (/ˈkreɪ/):
/k/ - voiceless velar stop
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/eɪ/ - diphthong (as in "day")
Second syllable (/zi/):
/z/ - voiced alveolar fricative
/i/ - close front unrounded vowel (as in "happy")
Word Form Variations
Adjective: crazy (comparative: crazier, superlative: craziest)
Adverb: crazily
Noun: craziness (uncountable)
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective:
Definition 1: Exhibiting behavior that is wild, unpredictable, or out of the ordinary, often suggesting a lack of mental soundness or conventional thought.
Synonyms: insane, mad, lunatic, deranged, unhinged, eccentric, erratic
Antonyms: sane, rational, sensible, normal, balanced, logical
Definition 2: Extremely enthusiastic, passionate, or obsessed with something to an exceptional degree.
Synonyms: keen, avid, passionate, fervent, obsessed, infatuated, fanatical
Antonyms: indifferent, apathetic, unenthusiastic, lukewarm
Definition 3: (Informal) Excellent, remarkable, or highly enjoyable; used to express strong approval.
Synonyms: awesome, amazing, fantastic, incredible, phenomenal, superb
Antonyms: terrible, awful, dreadful, boring, mediocre
Adverb:
Definition: In a wild, irrational, or enthusiastic manner.
Synonyms: madly, wildly, insanely, erratically, enthusiastically, obsessively
Antonyms: sanely, rationally, sensibly, calmly, methodically
Noun:
Definition: The state or quality of being crazy; wild or irrational behavior or thinking.
Synonyms: insanity, madness, lunacy, derangement, eccentricity, fanaticism, obsession
Antonyms: sanity, rationality, common sense, normalcy, composure
Examples of Use
Books:
"The characters in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest grapple with the definitions of sanity and what it means to be deemed 'crazy' by society." (Ken Kesey, 1962)
"It was a crazy idea, he knew, but sometimes the craziest ideas were the ones that worked."
Newspapers:
"Economists warn of 'crazy' market volatility as inflation concerns persist." (Financial Times)
"The local council faced a 'crazy' amount of paperwork for the new urban development project."
Online Publications:
"Why are we so crazy about true crime podcasts?" (Vox)
"This new AI tool is producing some crazy impressive results in image generation." (TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "You're crazy if you think I'm going to let you do that alone!" (Common dialogue in action films, e.g., Top Gun: Maverick)
Music: "And it was called 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love.'" (Queen, October 1979)
Television Show: "That's just crazy enough to work!" (Often heard in comedies or adventure shows, e.g., Brooklyn Nine-Nine, 2013-2021)
Video Game: "The difficulty settings in the new update are just plain crazy; I can barely survive!" (Gamer forum discussion)
Podcast: "Our guest today shares some crazy stories from their time traveling through remote regions." (Adventure podcast)
General Public Discourse:
"The weather has been absolutely crazy lately – one day it's scorching, the next it's freezing."
"I'm going crazy with all this studying for my exams."
"Did you see that goal? That was crazy good!"
"He's crazy about his new puppy; takes it everywhere."
"The prices at that store are just crazy expensive."
10 Quotes Using Crazy
"The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do." (Steve Jobs)
"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes." (Apple Inc., "Think Different" campaign)
"Crazy, I'm crazy for feeling so lonely." (Patsy Cline, "Crazy")
"Does that make me crazy? Possibly." (Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy")
"What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy?" (Ursula K. Le Guin)
"Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead." (Charles Bukowski)
"I may be crazy, but it keeps me from going insane." (Waylon Jennings)
"Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed." (Eminem)
"The only way to stay sane is to go a little crazy." (Susanna Kaysen, Girl, Interrupted)
"A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?" (Albert Einstein)
Etymology
The word "crazy" has a fascinating journey through time! It actually comes from an older word, "craze," which had a more physical meaning before it became about someone's mental state.
Think of "craze" as meaning "to shatter, crush, or break into pieces." So, the earliest known use of "crazy" in the 1570s meant something was "diseased" or "sickly." Imagine a plant that's not healthy, or perhaps a person feeling unwell – they might have been described as "crazy" in this old sense.
Soon after, in the 1580s, "crazy" also started being used to describe something that was "broken, impaired, or full of cracks or flaws." You could have a "crazy" house, meaning a rickety old building with cracks in its walls. Even today, we see this original sense in phrases like "crazy quilt," which is a quilt made from irregular, broken pieces of fabric.
It wasn't until the 1610s that "crazy" took on its more familiar meaning of "deranged, demented, or of unsound mind." This shift likely came from the idea of a "broken" or "cracked" mind, moving from a physical flaw to a mental one.
So, the word "crazy" didn't start by describing someone's mental state directly. It first referred to physical ailments or broken objects, and then evolved to describe a "broken" or "impaired" mind, eventually leading to its modern understanding of mental instability or unusual behavior.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Crazy
Crazy about (something/someone): To be very enthusiastic or deeply in love with something or someone.
Drive (someone) crazy: To annoy or frustrate someone intensely.
Go crazy: To become wild, excited, or mentally unbalanced.
Crazy like a fox: Appearing foolish or simple, but actually being very shrewd and cunning.
It's a crazy world: A common expression remarking on the often strange or unpredictable nature of life.
Crazy good/bad: Exceptionally good or bad.
Crazy busy: Extremely occupied or having a lot to do.
Mad as a hatter: (Using a synonym, "mad") Completely insane or eccentric.
Like a bat out of hell: (Implies a "crazy" speed) Very fast and recklessly.
Out of one's mind: (Using a synonym, "mind") Insane or behaving irrationally.
The whole crazy lot: Referring to an entire group of people or things that are unusual or eccentric.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of crazy from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
