madder

Everyday

1. Madder is the comparative of mad: more angry. tree →
2. (informal, mostly UK) Madder means more crazy, silly or wild. tree →
3. Madder is a plant with roots that give a red dye, and the red colour made from it, used for thousands of years to dye cloth. tree →

In the lessons

Mostly it is the -er form of mad in everyday speech: «He got madder and madder.» In US English mad usually means angry; in UK English mad usually means crazy or silly («mad about football» = loves it). In history and art lessons madder is a natural red dye, used for British soldiers' red coats and old paintings. Phrases: madder and madder, madder than ever, madder red, rose madder.

Examples

• The longer she waited, the madder she got. tree →
• That's an even madder idea than the last one! tree →
• Dad got madder when the car still wouldn't start. tree →
• Madder roots were boiled to make red dye. tree →
• The painter used rose madder for the sunset. tree →
• The soldiers' coats were dyed with madder. tree →
• But if they had only known what were Gilguerillo's thoughts they would have thought him madder than ever. tree →

Note

Double d in madder and maddest (short vowel + one consonant). Mad has two senses: angry (especially US) and crazy (especially UK); be careful, «mad» can be unkind when used about people with mental illness. As a plant and colour, madder is an uncountable noun.