MADDEN Synonyms: 82 Similar and Opposite Words

madden

verb

ˈma-dᵊn

Definition of madden

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

as in to infuriate

to make angry her perpetual tardiness maddened her friends to no end

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of madden Sure, the mandatory hydration breaks added for all games (including those in domed stadiums with air conditioning) and a first-ever halftime show in the final were maddening for the soccer purists. — Jasmine Garsd, NPR, 20 July 2026 The sound is not just big and bold, but scrubbed clean by AI with the goal of maddening perfection. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 Internet outages can be maddening, with ISPs often issuing vague statements about what happened. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026 The dark cellos of Guðnadóttir chop and grind, and Washington—shrieking, swiping, maddened at the air—flees into the forest, a disappearing uniform. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for madden

Recent Examples of Synonyms for madden

Verb

Say what’s bothering you before resentment takes over the conversation.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
Rafter, bothered by a right shoulder injury, retires after Cedric Pioline breaks his serve in the opening game of the fifth set.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of bother

Verb

The White House’s abrupt decision last week to ease tariffs on 300,000 metric tons — more than 660 million pounds — of foreign beef imports has infuriated American cattle ranchers and congressional Republicans alike.

— Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
The heated rhetoric has infuriated and astonished most Canadians; in a recent poll, seventy-six per cent supported the decision of the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, to walk away from trade talks with Washington.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of infuriate

Verb

Now investors are wondering whether the bond market’s unease is strong enough to disturb a booming stock market.

— John Towfighi, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
As a parent who has purchased my share of scary Halloween costumes, I was particularly disturbed by the controversy now engulfing Target.

— Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturb

Verb

That angered Michigan Democrats who were frustrated with El-Sayed, and brought Jeffries and other Democrats into the fray, putting the candidate El-Sayed had invested the most in on the defensive.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
The president is defending the data center boom as GOP officials across the country turn against projects that have angered voters.

— Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

The hiring of the Catalan content creator, however, has only served to enrage the public, rather than enticing them to watch the race.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of enrage

Verb

Featuring an ensemble populated by killer character actors like Jacki Weaver, Luis Guzmán, Kurtwood Smith, Timothy Spall, and Michael Chernus, Perpetual Grace, LTD is an off-kilter neo-noir that mines deranged humor from its eccentric characters.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Instagram demanded a certain sort of woman and then produced her, deranging broad swaths of the population in the process.

— Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026

Definition of derange

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“Madden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madden. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of madden

verb

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