UNHINGED Synonyms: 190 Similar and Opposite Words

unhinged 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈhinjd

Definition of unhinged

as in psychotic

unable to think in a clear or sensible way destined to become one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, he apparently became unhinged as a result of being abandoned as a young teen

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unhinged

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unhinge

as in disturbed

to cause to go insane or as if insane the endless harassment by the guards completely unhinged the prisoners of war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in alarmed

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy I was momentarily unhinged by the unexpected question

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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 unhinged

Adjective

Esparza plays the unhinged tyrant with a quickness, his bright eyes darting and weaving with each newfangled notion. — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026 This is an audacious vegetarian version—which is to say, entirely untraditional and a little unhinged. — Emma Laperruque, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Aug. 2026

Verb

The film shot Curry Barker onto the A-list of new directing talent and made a star of Inde Navarrette and her virtuosically unhinged performance as Nikki. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 The music of their first decade was gloriously unhinged, and inspirational to folks from Kurt Cobain to the Flaming Lips. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhinged

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhinged

Adjective

Prosecutors, on the other hand, have attempted to prove that Clancy was not psychotic and that the killings were deliberate.

— Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Mack testified last Friday and this past Monday that Clancy was not psychotic at the time of the killings and retained her capacity to understand right from wrong and control her behavior.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Verb

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
If disturbed, asbestos’ microscopic crystalline fibers get into the air, where they can be inhaled, cause lung scarring and lead to fatal cancers.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturbed

Verb

California Forever has increasingly pitched the Solano Shipyard as part of a broader effort to rebuild the US maritime industry, a priority among both Democrats and Republicans alarmed over its decline.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
The world’s most powerful economies are increasingly alarmed by their declining birthrates, and there’s no shortage of theories on why.

— Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Verb

The summertime trail is swarmed by black flies, tiny but blood-crazed.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
If the lenses are badly crazed, meaning marred by microscopic cracks in the lens surface, or moisture is trapped inside the housing, replacement is the better option.

— John Paul, The Providence Journal, 3 July 2026

Definition of crazed

Verb

The long seven-month offseason has been filled with congressional legislation, eligibility lawsuits, CFP expansion and plenty of other storylines that have distracted from the product on the field.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
You’re not distracted by the clients waiting behind you or the sense that someone is watching and waiting for your chair to open up.

— Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracted

Adjective

But throughout that, and much more important than the rivalry and being mad at each other or whatever, is just this absolute unending love.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
What mad honey does to the human body When a human eats more than about a teaspoon of this honey, the toxin interferes with how the heart muscle generates its electrical signals.

— Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mad

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
Frank, moving, and just slightly deranged.

— Namara Smith, New Yorker, 10 June 2026

Definition of deranged

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“Unhinged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhinged. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of unhinged

adjective

verb

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