demented

[dih-men-tid] /dɪˈmɛn tɪd/

adjective

crazy; insane; mad.

affected with dementia.

Origin

1635-45; dement + -ed²

Related forms

dementedly, adverb

dementedness, noun

half-demented, adjective

semidemented, adjective

Synonyms

1. lunatic, crazed, deranged, unbalanced.

dement

[dih-ment] /dɪˈmɛnt/

verb (used with object), Obsolete

to make mad or insane.

Origin

1535-45; < Late Latin dēmentāre to deprive of mind, equivalent to Latin dēment- (stem of dēmēns) out of one's mind (dē- de- + ment- (stem of mēns) mind) + -āre infinitive suffix

Examples from the web for demented

That's one reason why researchers suspect these patients become demented in the first place.
Another pause, and he broke out again like one demented.
Suddenly they were joined by a bigger man, also with a demented look about the eyes.
Now they're mostly bitter and demented.
Having lost their agility, dreamy and demented, they turn slowly about the window in the first icy mists of morning.
The whole concept is demented.
It's been replaced by a demented bureaucracy, xenophobia, racism and neurosis.
But in Manhattan's demented real estate market, it still qualified as a steal.
Vigilance is necessary; the wannabe grabbers have a demented light in their eyes, and will not quit easily.
Getting kids more active would also help, and one of the biggest obstacles here is our demented tort system.

British Dictionary definitions for demented

demented

/dɪˈmɛntɪd/

adjective

mad; insane

Derived Forms

dementedly, adverb
dementedness, noun

dement

/dɪˈmɛnt/

verb

(intransitive) to deteriorate mentally, esp because of old age

(transitive) (rare) to drive mad; make insane

Word Origin

C16: from Late Latin dēmentāre to drive mad, from Latin de- + mēns mind

Word Origin and History for demented

adj.

1640s, from obsolete dement "drive mad."

dement

1540s, "to drive mad," probably from Middle French démenter, from Late Latin dementare "to drive out of one's mind," from phrase de mente (a less technical term than insanitas), from de + mente, ablative of mens mind" (see mind (n.)).

demented in Medicine

demented de·ment·ed (dĭ-měn'tĭd)
adj.

Mentally ill; insane.
Suffering from dementia.

demented in Technology

Yet another term of disgust used to describe a program. The connotation in this case is that the program works as designed, but the design is bad. Said, for example, of a program that generates large numbers of meaningless error messages, implying that it is on the brink of imminent collapse.
[Jargon File]
(1994-12-07)