Crazy and Insane
2022-04-09
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question from Leah from Vietnam.
2Hi! I'm Leah from Vietnam. I would like to know the difference between "insane" and "crazy".
3Thank you so much!
4Leah
5Dear Leah,
6I really appreciate the question.
7These two words may appear as synonyms in some situations.
8But in recent years, their usage and meanings have changed with increased knowledge of mental health issues.
9Let us start with "crazy."
10"Crazy" is mostly used as an adjective and can have several different meanings that are informal.
11Its first meaning is foolish, strange, wild or intense.
12The crazy kittens knocked over their water bowl because they were so excited.
13In this example, the kittens were a little wild and foolishly spilled the water.
14A second meaning of "crazy" is really enthusiastic, interested in, or in love with something.
15We usually use the preposition "about" with the word.
16The couple is crazy about each other; they are always holding hands.
17And crazy can also mean mentally sick or unbalanced.
18This meaning is falling out of use because now there is more awareness and sensitivity towards mental health issues.
19An example from recent years can be seen in the TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
20The song for the show is about the main character, Rebecca Bunch, an ex-girlfriend who is "crazy" and not doing well with her mental health.
21At the time, people criticized the use of "crazy" in the show's title.
22But the creator and star, Rachel Bloom, also helped to increase awareness of mental health issues through the TV show.
23Let's move on to "insane."
24"Insane" has a stronger, more negative association than crazy.
25As an adjective, it was once used to describe people with severe mental illness.
26But it is no long used in the field of medicine.
27Today, some people, especially younger ones, use it to mean extremely foolish, irrational, or not able to make good decisions.
28Those kinds of meanings are falling out of use.
29Another, more recent use as an adjective can mean shocking, outrageous, or intense.
30This meaning is similar to "crazy."
31Compare these examples:
32I had an insane day at work.
33In this example, "insane" means intense and busy.
34The pasta sauce smells insane.
35Here the sauce has an intense and wonderful smell.
36"Crazy" and "insane," as adjectives, are used informally to mean foolish, intense, or not believable.
37If they are used this way, they can be synonyms.
38Insane is stronger and often sounds more negative than crazy.
39Crazy is more normal in informal speech when showing enthusiasm or even expressing love.
40But, both terms have in the past been used to describe people with mental illnesses.
41While both terms are still used informally, saying them in the wrong situation can be a mistake.
42I hope these explanations and examples have helped you, Leah!
43What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
44And that's Ask a Teacher.
45I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question from Leah from Vietnam. 2Question: 3Hi! I'm Leah from Vietnam. I would like to know the difference between "insane" and "crazy". 4Thank you so much! 5Leah 6Answer: 7Dear Leah, 8I really appreciate the question. These two words may appear as synonyms in some situations. But in recent years, their usage and meanings have changed with increased knowledge of mental health issues. 9Let us start with "crazy." 10"Crazy" is mostly used as an adjective and can have several different meanings that are informal. 11Its first meaning is foolish, strange, wild or intense. 12The crazy kittens knocked over their water bowl because they were so excited. 13In this example, the kittens were a little wild and foolishly spilled the water. 14A second meaning of "crazy" is really enthusiastic, interested in, or in love with something. We usually use the preposition "about" with the word. 15The couple is crazy about each other; they are always holding hands. 16And crazy can also mean mentally sick or unbalanced. This meaning is falling out of use because now there is more awareness and sensitivity towards mental health issues. 17An example from recent years can be seen in the TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. 18The song for the show is about the main character, Rebecca Bunch, an ex-girlfriend who is "crazy" and not doing well with her mental health. 19At the time, people criticized the use of "crazy" in the show's title. But the creator and star, Rachel Bloom, also helped to increase awareness of mental health issues through the TV show. 20Let's move on to "insane." 21"Insane" has a stronger, more negative association than crazy. As an adjective, it was once used to describe people with severe mental illness. But it is no long used in the field of medicine. 22Today, some people, especially younger ones, use it to mean extremely foolish, irrational, or not able to make good decisions. Those kinds of meanings are falling out of use. 23Another, more recent use as an adjective can mean shocking, outrageous, or intense. This meaning is similar to "crazy." 24Compare these examples: 25I had an insane day at work. 26In this example, "insane" means intense and busy. 27The pasta sauce smells insane. 28Here the sauce has an intense and wonderful smell. 29"Crazy" and "insane," as adjectives, are used informally to mean foolish, intense, or not believable. If they are used this way, they can be synonyms. 30Insane is stronger and often sounds more negative than crazy. Crazy is more normal in informal speech when showing enthusiasm or even expressing love. But, both terms have in the past been used to describe people with mental illnesses. 31While both terms are still used informally, saying them in the wrong situation can be a mistake. 32I hope these explanations and examples have helped you, Leah! 33What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 34And that's Ask a Teacher. 35I'm Faith Pirlo. 36Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 37Words in This Story 38synonym - n. a word that is similar in meaning to another word 39mental health - n. well-being of your mind, emotions, and social needs 40stereotypes - n. common, over-simplified and negative ideas of people or their roles in life 41enthusiastic -adj. feeling or showing strong excitement about something; filled with or marked by enthusiasm 42negative -adj. harmful or bad; not wanted 43Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.