mental

Everyday

1. Mental means to do with the mind, like thinking, remembering and feelings. tree →
2. Mental maths is working out sums in your head without writing. tree →
3. Mental health is how well your mind and feelings are doing. tree →
4. (slang, UK, Ireland, Australia) Mental can mean crazy, wild or amazing: "That ride was mental!" tree →
5. (slang, offensive) "Mental" was used as an unkind word for someone with a mental illness; do not use it that way. tree →

In the lessons

In maths lessons "mental maths" or "mental arithmetic" tests are quick sums in your head. In health lessons: mental health and wellbeing. In playground talk it is a slang word for wild or exciting. Phrases: mental maths, mental health, mental note, mental picture, go mental (slang: get very angry or very excited).

Examples

• We did twenty mental maths questions. tree →
• Work it out mentally: what is 25 plus 17? tree →
• Exercise is good for your mental health. tree →
• She made a mental note to buy milk. tree →
• I have a clear mental picture of the beach. tree →
• That roller coaster was mental! tree →
• Dad went mental when the dog ate his sandwich. tree →
• Talking about worries helps your mental health. tree →
• Laughing is an infallible sign of the highest degree of mental development. tree →

Note

Adverb: mentally. Opposite of mental (mind) is physical (body). Slang uses are informal; calling a person "mental" is hurtful. In maths, "mental" tells you to calculate without paper or calculator.