MADDEN

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does madden mean? 

• MADDEN (verb)
  The verb MADDEN has 3 senses:

1. cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind

2. drive up the wall; go on someone's nerves

3. make mad

  Familiarity information: MADDEN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MADDEN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they madden    ... he / she / it maddens   
Past simple: maddened   
Past participle: maddened   
-ing form: maddening   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

craze; madden

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "madden"):

derange; unbalance (derange mentally, throw out of mental balance; make insane)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Drive up the wall; go on someone's nerves

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "madden" is one way to...):

bedevil; crucify; dun; frustrate; rag; torment (treat cruelly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make mad

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Context example:

His behavior is maddening

Hypernyms (to "madden" is one way to...):

anger (make angry)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The bad news will madden him

 Context examples 

His eyes dropped from her blue eyes to her lips, and the sight of the stain maddened him.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

The situation to him must have been a maddening one.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

These days, with so many planets opposite your sign, there is an indication of either perfect agreement or maddening strife.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Far from her intention, her words were maddening me, driving me on.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“What does this mean! It's impossible to bear it. It's maddening. How can you do it to me, boys?”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"That's good! I wish all the girls would leave, and spoil his old school. It's perfectly maddening to think of those lovely limes," sighed Amy, with the air of a martyr.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He sprang up, and lashed right and left at the mares, who, maddened by the unaccustomed pain, hurled themselves on in a frenzy.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He was a man and a monstrosity, as fearful a thing of fear as ever gibbered in the visions of a maddened brain.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

The man’s insolence was maddening, but we could not resent it.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The sweet meaty taste, thin and elusive almost as a memory, maddened him.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)