madly

Everyday

1. In a wild, uncontrolled or frantic way: running madly about. tree →
2. Very much; extremely: madly in love, madly busy. tree →
3. (old-fashioned) In a crazy or foolish way. tree →

In the lessons

In stories «madly» shows rushed or wild action, or strong feelings. In everyday talk it makes words stronger: «madly in love», «madly jealous». Phrases: madly in love, rush about madly, wave madly.

Examples

• The puppy ran madly around the garden. tree →
• We waved madly at the plane. tree →
• They are madly in love. tree →
• Everyone was rushing about madly before the show. tree →
• The kids cheered madly when their team scored. tree →
• I scribbled madly to finish the test in time. tree →
• The bell rang madly. tree →
• She was madly busy all week. tree →
• ‘I see a swarm of brown horses racing madly after us,’ he answered. tree →

Note

Adverb from «mad». In UK English «mad» can mean crazy or very keen; in US English «mad» often means angry, but «madly» rarely means angrily. Informal-to-neutral word.

In Jewish tradition

It means wildly. The prophets use it for chariots rushing in battle.

Interpretation. Jeremiah and Nahum paint war scenes. Tradition reads them as God's coming judgment on Egypt and Nineveh.

Examples

• Prance, ye horses, and rush madly, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Ludim, that handle and bend the bow. (Prophets JER.46.9, JPS 1917) tree →
• The chariots rush madly in the streets, they jostle one against another in the broad places; the appearance of them is like torches, they run to and fro like the lightnings. (Prophets NAM.2.5, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Adverb from «mad». In UK English «mad» can mean crazy or very keen; in US English «mad» often means angry, but «madly» rarely means angrily. Informal-to-neutral word.