That’s why experts in the field and mental health advocates recommend avoiding the word crazy (along with other similar terms like psycho and nuts) to describe someone with a mental illness or characterize the way someone is acting.įortunately, English is a rich language, and there are much more interesting words out there than crazy, anyway. usually offensive : not mentally sound : marked by thought or action that lacks reason : insane sense 1b.

When crazy is used in a derogatory way-to describe someone who is acting irrationally, for example-it reinforces negative stereotypes about people living with mental health conditions. Synonyms for drive you crazy include madden, infuriate, enrage, incense, inflame, irritate, annoy, provoke, upset and exasperate. And we do see the word crazy all over the place-it’s one of the 2,000 most frequently used words in American English.ĭespite how common this word is, there is a growing movement to encourage people to reconsider using the word crazy in recognition of how it stigmatizes mental illnesses. This definition of the word, used both literally and figuratively, is what we think of today when we hear crazy. Synonyms for WACKY: bizarre, eccentric, strange, weird, funny, odd, peculiar, crazy Antonyms of WACKY: normal, typical, usual, ordinary, standard, average, routine. Other synonyms that could be used to describe someone who. In the 1500s, the word crazy meant “to be sickly and infirm.” But a century later, crazy was used to mean “insane” or “demented.” Some of the most common synonyms include insane, mad, deranged, mentally ill, unhinged, and lunatic.

Crazy syn