dingue
See also: -dingue and dingué
French
Etymology
Probably derived from dinguer (“fall, strike”) or divaguer (“wander, blather”). Under the influence of dengue (“viral disease”) it was reinterpreted to mean “sickness that makes one crazy”.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /dɛ̃ɡ/
Adjective
dingue (plural dingues)
- (slang) mad, crazy, nuts [from c. 1915]
- Synonyms: cinglé, dingo, fou
- Ce truc me rend dingue! ― This thing drives me crazy!
Noun
dingue m or f by sense (plural dingues)
- (slang) madman, maniac
- Synonyms: cinglé, fou, folle
- La célébrité me faisait mener une existence de dingue.
- Fame was leading me to a crazy existence.
Derived terms
- dingo
- -dingue
- dinguerie
- doux dingue
- raide dingue
Further reading
- “dingue”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.