insane
insane — 形容詞
1. feeling an extremely strong level of annoyance or anger that stops you from thin
氣瘋的
極度惱怒或沮喪到無法正常思考
feeling an extremely strong level of annoyance or anger that stops you from thinking clearly or handling a situation in a reasonable way
The constant noise from the construction site is driving Ife absolutely insane.
工地的持續噪音快把 Ife 逼瘋了。
drive + object + insane — common pattern for extreme annoyance
Marta almost went insane waiting for the repairman, who arrived three hours late.
Marta 等維修師傅等了三個小時，對方才姍姍來遲，她一副氣瘋的樣子。
go insane — informal idiom for losing patience
The slow internet connection in the office was making everyone feel insane with frustration.
辦公室裡網路連線速度極慢，讓每個人都沮喪得快發瘋。
Vivek said the baby's crying was driving him insane and he needed a break.
Vivek 說嬰兒的哭聲快把他逼瘋了，他需要休息一下。
文法句型
drive + object + insane
go insane
make + object + insane
用法筆記
This sense is informal and exaggerates a feeling. Do not use it in formal writing or when speaking about actual mental illness.
常見錯誤
2. so unreasonable or foolish that it seems likely to cause harm or goes against al
荒唐的
極不合理、愚蠢或危險的
so unreasonable or foolish that it seems likely to cause harm or goes against all common sense
Beatrix thought it was insane to drive through the flooded streets during the storm.
Beatrix 認為在暴風雨中開車穿過淹水的街道簡直是荒唐。
it + be + insane + to-infinitive
Charging five hundred dollars for a concert ticket is an insane price.
一張演唱會門票要價五百美元，真是荒唐的價格。
an insane + noun — intensifying noun phrase
Joaquín laughed and said the night-time river swim was an insane idea.
Joaquín 聽到有人打算晚上游過那條河，笑著說這想法太荒唐了。
Climbing the mountain in winter without a guide seemed completely insane to the rangers.
完全沒有嚮導就打算在冬天爬那座山，管理員覺得這個計畫荒唐至極。
- ridiculous
less intense and more widely acceptable in casual speech; does not carry the same risk of being misunderstood as referencing mental health
- absurd
more formal and intellectual; suggests something is logically impossible or contradictory
- outrageous
focuses on the shocking or unacceptable nature of the action
- sensible
showing good judgment and reason
- reasonable
fair and based on good sense
文法句型
it + be + insane + to-infinitive
an insane + noun
be insane to + verb
用法筆記
Like sense 1, this is informal exaggeration. It expresses a strong negative judgment about a decision, idea, or situation. It does not refer to mental health.
常見錯誤
3. a dated term describing someone who has a severe mental health condition and can
精神失常的
（舊用語，具冒犯性）罹患嚴重精神疾病的
a dated term describing someone who has a severe mental health condition and cannot function in everyday life — in modern conversation the word is considered offensive except when used in legal contexts or in historical references
In the 1950s, the hospital was known for treating patients described as insane.
在1950年代，那間醫院以收治被描述為「精神失常」的病人而聞名。
historical context — 'described as insane' is a dated label
The court accepted the insanity defence after reviewing the psychiatric reports.
法院在審閱精神科報告後，接受了被告的精神失常抗辯。
legal context — 'insanity defence' is a standard legal term
Victorian doctors labelled many women insane for behaviour that would seem normal today.
維多利亞時代的醫師經常將今日看來正常的行為，貼上精神失常的標籤。
The word 'insane' to describe mental illness is now considered offensive by healthcare professionals.
醫療專業人士認為，用 insane 這個詞來描述精神疾病如今已帶有冒犯性。
- mentally ill
neutral, preferred term in modern usage; does not carry the same stigma
- psychotic
specific clinical term for a particular set of severe symptoms, not a general label
- sane
used mainly in legal and clinical contexts; means of sound mind
文法句型
be declared insane
be found insane
be considered insane
用法筆記
Do NOT use this sense to describe a person with mental illness in everyday speech — it is widely considered offensive and dehumanising. Use neutral alternatives such as 'person with a mental health condition,' 'person living with mental illness,' or 'person with a psychiatric disability.' The word survives in two specific settings: (1) legal terminology such as 'the insanity defence' or 'not guilty by reason of insanity'; (2) historical descriptions of how people with mental illness were treated in earlier centuries.
常見錯誤
4. extremely good, impressive, or exciting in a way that is surprising and hard to
超讚的
好得令人難以置信的
extremely good, impressive, or exciting in a way that is surprising and hard to believe
Élise gave an insane drum solo that brought the whole crowd to its feet.
Élise 表演了一段超讚的鼓獨奏，全場觀眾都站起來喝采。
an insane + noun — expressing admiration through exaggeration
Jin landed an insane skateboard jump over three parked cars at the competition.
Jin 在比賽中做出了一個超讚的滑板跳躍，越過三輛停放的汽車。
The special effects in that science-fiction film were absolutely insane.
那部科幻電影的特效實在是超讚的。
Ziad said the party last night was insane and that everyone should have come.
Ziad 說昨晚的派對超讚，每個人都應該來的。
- incredible
very similar in meaning but more widely acceptable across registers
- unbelievable
emphasises the surprising quality
- awesome
slightly older slang; very common in North American English
文法句型
an insane + noun
be insane (as exclamation)
用法筆記
This slang sense is the opposite of the negative senses 1 and 2 — it expresses strong admiration rather than criticism. It is common among younger speakers and in informal reviews, social media, and conversation. Avoid in formal or professional writing.
常見錯誤
insane — 名詞
1. a derogatory label used to refer collectively to people who have serious mental
瘋子
對精神疾病患者的貶稱
a derogatory label used to refer collectively to people who have serious mental health conditions, now widely recognised as offensive and dehumanising
The newspaper was criticised for referring to patients as 'the insane' in its article.
那家報社因為在文章中將病人稱為「瘋子」而受到批評。
the + adjective → offensive collective label
Using 'the insane' to describe anyone with a mental health condition is deeply insulting.
用「瘋子」來稱呼任何有精神健康問題的人，是非常侮辱人的。
Advocacy groups campaign against the use of labels such as 'the insane' in media.
倡導團體呼籲媒體不要使用像「瘋子」這樣的標籤。
The old hospital records referred to the patients as 'the insane' in every entry.
那家老醫院的病歷紀錄中，每一筆都把病人稱為「瘋子」。
- people with mental illness
preferred, neutral, person-first phrasing
- psychiatric patients
clinical term, acceptable only in medical contexts
文法句型
the insane (as group noun)
用法筆記
This noun form is always offensive. Unlike the adjective sense 3, which has a recognised legal use, the noun form 'the insane' has no neutral context — it reduces people to a single stigmatised characteristic. Never use it to describe real people. Preferred alternatives: 'people with mental illness,' 'people living with mental health conditions,' or 'psychiatric patients' (in clinical contexts only).