like mad
English
Prepositional phrase
like mad
- Like a mad person; in a furious or deranged manner; to a great or excessive degree; with great enthusiasm.
- We poked a stick into the hornets' nest and ran like mad.
- 1567, George Turberville (translator), The Eglogs of the Poet B. Mantuan Carmelitan, London, “The .vj. Egloge,”
- They neuer linne to scrape our goodes / till all our wealth be gone. / Which if we chaunce to sée, / excuses then are had: / But so we sée not when ’tis done, / they will denie like mad / They neuer toke away / one iote but was their owne:
- 1667, Roger L’Estrange (translator), The Visions of Dom Francisco de Quevedo Villegas, London: H. Herringman, “The Seventh Vision of Hell Reform’d,” p. 258,
- The Devils fell upon the Damn’d; and the Damn’d fell upon the Devils, without knowing One from t’other: and all running helter-skelter, to and again, like Mad; for in fine, it was no other then a general Revolt.
- 1741, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XVII”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], OCLC 1264825423, page 118:
- There were divers Antick Figures, some with Caps and Bells, one dress’d like a Punch; several Harlequins, and other ludicrous Forms, that jump’d and ran about like mad; and seem’d as if they would have it thought, that all their Wit lay in their Heels.
- 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Chapter 16”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, OCLC 57395299:
- When Bildad was a chief-mate, to have his drab-coloured eye intently looking at you, made you feel completely nervous, till you could clutch something—a hammer or a marling-spike, and go to work like mad, at something or other, never mind what.
- 1993, Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, Penguin, p. 210,
- I’d laughed. He’d laughed. Mine lasted the longest. During it, I thought it was going to change into a cry. But it didn’t. My eyes blinked like mad but then it was okay.
Synonyms
- like crazy
Anagrams
- damlike, malkied