Crazy can mean mentally ill, extremely foolish, or wildly enthusiastic, depending on context; in casual speech it often means very strange or intense.
From “craze,” meaning “to shatter or break,” especially glass, from Middle English. The idea shifted from physical breakage to mental or emotional disturbance.
Because ‘crazy’ is tied to mental illness, many people now avoid using it about people and say it about situations instead, like ‘crazy weather.’ The word started with cracked glass, then moved to ‘cracks’ in thinking—showing how we use physical metaphors to talk about minds.
“Crazy” has been used to stigmatize people with mental illness and to dismiss women in particular as irrational or hysterical when they expressed anger, grief, or disagreement. It has a long history tied to sexist and ableist stereotypes in medical and everyday language.
Avoid using “crazy” to describe people or their emotions; instead, use precise terms for behavior or intensity (e.g., “overwhelming,” “distressing,” “unpredictable”). Be especially careful not to label women or marginalized groups as “crazy” when they assert boundaries or critique injustice.
["overwhelming","intense","unpredictable","chaotic","unusual"]
When discussing mental health history, acknowledge how women and gender-diverse people were disproportionately labeled as “crazy” or “hysterical,” often to control or silence them, and highlight contributions of those who challenged such diagnoses.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.