Definition of madcapnext
as in devil
a person who seeks out very dangerous or foolhardy adventures with no apparent fear an incorrigible madcap who loves drag racing and white-water rafting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of madcap
Adjective
The show is leaning into its strengths, dialing up the madcap comedy and overlapping dialogue while keeping the story lines rooted in recognizable rites of passage for young people. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 The film follows the madcap antics of a group of sports-car fans racing coast-to-coast from New York to California. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2026
Noun
The fare isn’t noteworthy or unique, except for the onion soup with its madcap, enormous puff pastry lid. — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 New reads abound for your vacation tote throughout the weeks of July, with fiction picks featuring a Carnival cruise casualty, a highly entertaining jewel heist at the Waldorf-Astoria, and a Soviet-era madcap adventure. — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for madcap
Recent Examples of Synonyms for madcap
Adjective
  • This is a reckless budget that uses our children as bargaining chips.
    — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Dodgers’ grand prize from the trade deadline was hardly a reckless choice to start Game 1 of the division series.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Behave yourself, buddy, or the little red devil will take you away!
    — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Dostoyevsky’s sniveling devil comes closest to portraying the man chiefly responsible for organizing the Final Solution.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Gortner also starred with Lynda Carter in Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976), appeared in the daredevil biopic Viva Knievel!
    — Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Prince Harry went skydiving near Toronto on Friday, but the daredevil move wasn't just for fun.
    — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 26 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • And while his animals could pass through the vehicle barriers, the cowboys herding them could not.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Doing so, claims the personal knowledge that disciplinary training and structures like the vita elide and offers a bridge to more fully understand the grief and loss the families in the cowboy suit tragedy experienced.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Madison has made a smart choice for her biggest role since bagging an Oscar for Anora; her character’s trajectory from Facebook believer through disillusioned outlier to courageous whistleblower is stirringly rendered.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The far-from-basic residence showcases courageous expression.
    — Kelly Allen, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • His act of compassion turns the town against them, casting Carlos as a madman and Bobi as a monster and setting them on a devastating path toward violence.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Nothing’s really changed except the weather and the fact that more madmen have the keys to the kingdom.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The island’s allure is often centered around exhilaration—surfing on its west coast and exploring its fathomless forests—yet a calmer current of energy runs alongside this adventurous spirit.
    — Adrienne Matei, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
  • SUVs offered a more adventurous image, available all-wheel drive, greater towing capability in many cases and seemingly endless choices.
    — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • There were a lot of brave guys who stayed to fight there — and people at home don't know what happened.
    — Jonah Kaplan, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Cagle added that the photo showed a confident, brilliant, brave, polite, gracious, kind and gentle young man.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Madcap.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/madcap. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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