insane

Everyday

1. (old or offensive when used of people) Seriously mentally ill; today doctors use «mental illness» instead. tree →
2. (informal) Very foolish or crazy, as in «That's an insane idea». tree →
3. (slang) Amazing or extreme, as in «That goal was insane!» tree →

In the lessons

In everyday and slang talk pupils hear it for something amazing or wild: «The rollercoaster was insane!» In stories it may describe a mad plan. Using it about people with real mental illness is hurtful, so pupils learn kinder words. Phrases: drive someone insane (annoy a lot), an insane amount of.

Examples

• That skateboard trick was insane! (slang) tree →
• It would be insane to swim in that storm. tree →
• This homework is driving me insane. tree →
• There was an insane amount of traffic. tree →
• The price of those trainers is insane. tree →
• Old books called people with mental illness «insane», but today we say «mentally ill». tree →
• I do the most insane things I possibly can, and then I tell a poet about it, and thus the whole town gets to know of it directly." tree →

Note

Opposite: sane. Noun: insanity. Be careful: calling a person «insane» can be rude and hurtful. In slang it is a strong word of praise, not about illness. «An insane amount» does not give a number.