Deranged
adjective
Definition
1. Mentally disturbed or insane.
2. Wildly odd or irrational in an exaggerated way.
2. Wildly odd or irrational in an exaggerated way.
Context Alive
The neighbors had always thought he was a bit strange. He talked to himself, never made eye contact, and kept his curtains closed day and night. But when the police arrived and found walls covered in bizarre writings, everyone finally understood. The man was clearly deranged, living in a world of paranoid fantasies that had completely taken over his mind.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 Mentally disturbed or insane — COMMON Common ▼
This meaning describes someone who can’t think or act normally due to mental illness. Imagine watching the news about a deranged attacker who hurt strangers for no reason, and experts try to explain what went wrong in his mind. This is being deranged. You might hear “mentally deranged” or “a deranged killer” in crime reports. Or think about a horror movie where a deranged patient escapes from an asylum, terrorizing everyone in a small town. The word suggests serious mental disturbance, not just odd behavior.
Vivid ExampleThe court psychiatrist concluded that the suspect was deranged at the time of the crime, unable to understand the difference between right and wrong.
2 Wildly odd or irrational — exaggerated use — LESS COMMON Common ▼
People sometimes use deranged loosely to describe something extremely strange or crazy — not literally insane. Imagine your friend showing you a video of someone attempting a ridiculously dangerous stunt, and you say, “That’s absolutely deranged!” meaning it’s wildly irrational, not that the person needs medical help. Or think about describing a friend’s deranged plan to drive twelve hours just to eat at a specific restaurant, laughing at how extreme and impractical it sounds.
Vivid ExampleHer deranged idea of cooking dinner involved three different cuisines, seventeen ingredients, and a blowtorch — but somehow it actually turned out delicious.
Examples from the Street
“He looked at me like I was deranged when I suggested we walk in the rain.”
He stared at me as if I’d lost my mind when I proposed we stroll through the downpour
“Some deranged driver nearly ran me off the road!”
Some completely crazy motorist almost pushed me into the ditch!
“The plot sounds absolutely deranged — I love it.”
The storyline sounds completely mad — I think it’s great
Common Patterns
a deranged person/man/woman → someone who is mentally unstable or acting insanely
a deranged killer/gunman → a mentally disturbed murderer or attacker
some deranged [noun] → expressing anger or disbelief at someone’s behaviour
completely/totally deranged → absolutely insane
look/sound deranged → appear or seem mentally unstable
a deranged idea/plan → a crazy or ridiculous concept
deranged behaviour → actions that seem insane or irrational
absolutely/utterly deranged → completely crazy (often humorous)
something deranged → something wild or bizarre
deranged with grief/jealousy → driven mad by intense emotion
become/go deranged → lose one’s sanity
driven deranged → pushed into madness
Collocations
3 collocationsmentally deranged
severely mentally unstable
completely deranged
totally insane or irrational
deranged behaviour
actions that are wildly irrational
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
The film is about a deranged killer who terrorises a small town
The movie follows a mentally disturbed murderer who brings fear to a tiny community.
2
She gave me a deranged look when I suggested we leave the party early
She stared at me as if I’d lost my mind when I proposed we go home before the event ended.
3
Some deranged fan broke into the celebrity’s house
A mentally unstable admirer forced their way into the famous person’s home.
4
That plan is absolutely deranged — there’s no way it will work
That idea is completely insane — it has zero chance of succeeding.
5
He sounded deranged on the phone, ranting about conspiracies
He seemed out of his mind during the call, going on wildly about secret plots.
6
The character becomes deranged after losing his entire family in the fire
The fictional person loses his sanity following the death of all his relatives in the blaze.
7
She was deranged with grief after her son’s death and couldn’t function normally
She was driven mad by sorrow following her child’s passing and couldn’t carry on with everyday life.
8
Only a completely deranged person would swim in that freezing water
Only someone totally out of their mind would go into those ice-cold waves.
9
The internet is full of deranged conspiracy theories
The web is packed with completely insane beliefs about secret plots.
10
His deranged behaviour at the meeting got him fired on the spot
His unhinged conduct during the discussion resulted in immediate dismissal.
Learner Examples
★
My students looked at me like I was deranged when I announced a surprise vocabulary test
My pupils stared at me as though I’d lost my mind when I told them about an unexpected word quiz.
★
Some language learning methods seem absolutely deranged at first — like only listening for six months before speaking — but they actually work
Certain approaches to picking up a new tongue appear completely mad initially — such as just hearing for half a year before talking — but they’re genuinely effective.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsinsane
mentally unstable
crazy
informal — mentally unwell
unhinged
losing grip on reality
mad
seriously mentally disturbed
Antonymssane
mentally healthy
rational
thinking clearly and logically