unhinged

adjective

un·​hinged ˌən-ˈhinjd How to pronounce unhinged (audio)
: highly disturbed, unstable, or distraught
attacked by an unhinged extremist
Somewhere along the way, her pursuit of a hot guy turned into unhinged obsession.Cosmopolitan
"Is this a new brand of humour? Or is your brain really unhinged?" inquired Tommy.Agatha Christie
see also unhinge

Examples of unhinged in a Sentence

destined to become one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, he apparently became unhinged as a result of being abandoned as a young teen
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The unraveling of the age-gap relationship brings Elliot to an increasingly unhinged point, forcing Silverstone’s character (and Silverstone, by extension) to dig out every ounce of her own strength to fight back. Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 4 July 2025 The adventure centers on misfits stuck in a fantasy world that makes the most of their creativity, with an unhinged Jack Black singing about lava chicken and a hilariously macho Jason Momoa gamely taking the brunt of the gags. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 June 2025 The film directed by Kim A Snyder and executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker examines attempts by librarians in Florida and Texas and elsewhere to combat book banning efforts, while simultaneously facing unhinged attacks from right wing zealots accusing them of grooming children. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 June 2025 Hit me with your most unhinged (but legal) ideas to get this to stop. Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for unhinged

Word History

First Known Use

1652, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unhinged was in 1652

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Cite this Entry

“Unhinged.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unhinged. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

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