LUNACY Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

lunacy

noun

ˈlü-nə-sē

Definition of lunacy

as in insanity

a foolish act or idea you want to sneak into the building after the alarm is set—what lunacy!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dementia

a serious mental disorder that prevents one from living a safe and normal life the judge ruled that the lunacy of the accused made him incompetent to stand trial

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in madness

lack of good sense or judgment was it desperation or lunacy that caused him to quit his job and move to California without any plan for what to do when he got there?

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 lunacy Pure lunacy — and now stressing out students with crashes of a computer system. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026 After all, there’s ample lunacy to be found on the left and the right these days. — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026 Once upon a time, the idea of a baseball team allowing most of its games to be broadcast on television was lunacy. — Ken Sugiura, AJC.com, 24 Feb. 2026 Because it's invariably attached to the idea of some kind of lunacy. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lunacy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lunacy

Noun

That sentence would have sounded like insanity a few decades ago, but in the strange world of Hollywood in the 2020s, weirder might really be better.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
So this is just a build-up, and there is such insanity coming.

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of insanity

Noun

Other symptoms include mild dementia that involves short-term memory loss, a lack of interest in daily activities and difficulty completing routine tasks.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
As a final demonstration of this approach’s promise, the researchers designed zinc proteases that could target proteins associated with neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of dementia

Noun

Set in 1959, the episode weaves the lie of female hysteria, misogyny, Cold War fears and pharmaceutical greed into one tremendous installment.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Russell turned the story into an extravagant examination of religious hysteria and political power, with stark white sets by Derek Jarman and an avant-garde score by Peter Maxwell Davies.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of hysteria

Noun

Early on, Sakurai exploits the inherent absurdity of telling a story populated by so many ludicrous characters.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Unlike Gregor Samsa who is confined to his room after transforming into a huge insect, the protagonist still has to go to work, a dark and bleak absurdity that lays bare the alienation, isolation, and hypocrisy of modern life.

— Deadline, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of absurdity

Browse Nearby Words

lunacies

lunacy

lunatic

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lunacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lunacy. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of lunacy

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes