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lunatic — a person who is mentally ill (old-fashioned and offensive); a person who behaves in a very strange, foolish, or dangerous way

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a person who is mentally ill (old-fashioned and offensive); a person who behaves in a very strange, foolish, or dangerous way

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈluːnətɪk/

Example Sentences

  • My neighbor is a complete lunatic - he mows his lawn at 3 AM while singing opera!
  • The politician's lunatic proposal to build a bridge to the moon was rejected unanimously.
  • She called him a lunatic for trying to teach his goldfish to play chess.

lunatic

NOUN

[/ˈluːnətɪk/]

a person who is mentally ill (old-fashioned and offensive); a person who behaves in a very strange, foolish, or dangerous way

The lunatic in the asylum courtyard howls at the moon every single night.
💡 Concept

The lunatic in the asylum courtyard howls at the moon every single night.

The lunatic's magnetic experiment turns dramatic!
🎵 Rhyme

The lunatic's magnetic experiment turns dramatic!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈluːnətɪk/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈluːnətɪk/

🌳Etymology

Rootluna
Suffix--tic

Origin

The word derives from Latin luna, meaning 'moon.' In ancient times, people believed that the moon's phases influenced mental states, leading to the formation of this term to describe someone supposedly affected by lunar influence.

Breakdown

luna (moon) + -tic (adjective suffix) = moon-affected or moon-influenced

🎵Rhyme

magnetic
dramatic
automatic

🔗Collocations

lunatic asylum
lunatic fringe
complete lunatic
raving lunatic
lunatic behavior
dangerous lunatic

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“My neighbor is a complete lunatic - he mows his lawn at 3 AM while singing opera!”

😄 Fun example

“The politician's lunatic proposal to build a bridge to the moon was rejected unanimously.”

😄 Fun example

“She called him a lunatic for trying to teach his goldfish to play chess.”

😄 Fun example

“The security guard described the intruder as 'some lunatic wearing a banana costume.'”

📚Related Words

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