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Mad, crazy, or angry
Angry means upset in any country; mad means angry in casual US speech and foolish in the UK; crazy means unreasonable, wild or very keen.
Quick rule
Upset with someone: angry, or mad in casual US speech. Foolish or unreasonable: crazy, or mad in the UK.
Angry, especially in casual US speech: mad at someone. In British English it can also mean foolish or crazy.
Foolish, unreasonable or wild. Also very keen on something (crazy about), and in go crazy, very excited or very angry.
Feeling strong displeasure. The standard word: angry about something, angry with or at someone, in the US and the UK alike.
How to choose
| Question | mad | crazy | angry |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the US, is it understood as "upset" in casual speech? | Yes | SometimesSometimes | Yes |
| Can it describe an unreasonable idea (a ___ idea)? | SometimesSometimes | Yes | No |
| Can at or with plus a person follow it (___ at him)? | Yes | No | Yes |
Why it trips people up
Mad means angry in casual US English and can mean foolish or crazy in British English, so one sentence gets two readings. Crazy overlaps too (go crazy can mean get very angry). Angry is the word that keeps one meaning in both countries.
How each one works
Mad
Angry: mad at + person
Are you still mad at me about the game?
With make: it angers me
It makes me so mad when people cut in line.
Foolish, mostly British: mad to + verb
You'd be mad to turn down that offer.
Crazy
Before a noun: unreasonable
It's a crazy idea, but it might work.
crazy about: very keen on
My little brother is crazy about dinosaurs.
go crazy: get wildly excited
The crowd went crazy when the band came on stage.
Angry
angry about + reason
She was angry about the delay, but she stayed polite.
get angry with + person
Dad got angry with us for leaving the door open.
Before a noun: angry email
He sent an angry email to the airline.
What comes next
mad plus at plus person
Why is everyone mad at me today?
crazy plus about plus something
Maya is crazy about her new puppy.
angry plus about plus reason
They were angry about the price increase.
angry plus with or at plus person
Is she angry with her brother?
Set phrases
Mad
- get mad
- become angry
- mad scientist
- a scientist in a story who does dangerous, strange experiments
Crazy
- go crazy
- lose control, often from excitement or anger
Angry
- an angry crowd
- a group of people shouting because they are upset
Almost the same
My boss is mad at me.
In the US, upset with me.
My boss is crazy.
Unreasonable, not upset.
My boss is angry.
Upset in any country.
The crowd went crazy.
It lost control, usually from excitement.
The crowd was angry.
It was upset about something.
In a conversation
- A:
Why is Dana not talking to anyone today?
- B:
She's mad at me. I forgot her birthday.
- A:
She doesn't look angry to me. Just tired.
- B:
She says she isn't, but she hasn't texted all day.
- A:
Buy her sunflowers. She's crazy about them.
- B:
Good plan. It beats my first idea, which was crazy.
Common mistakes
Wrong: He was angry on me for breaking the vase.
Right: He was angry with me for breaking the vase.
Before a person, angry takes with or at; the reason takes about (Cambridge).
Wrong: She got angrily when I told her.
Right: She got angry when I told her.
After get, use an adjective: angry. Angrily is an adverb and goes with an action: she shouted angrily.
Memory trick
To say someone is upset, be angry works in both the US and the UK. Mad changes meaning from one country to the other.
It depends
- Mad in a formal text
- Cambridge labels mad (angry) as informal. A report, a letter of complaint or an essay reads better with angry.
- Mad for a mental illness
- Cambridge marks mad as offensive when it describes a person with a mental illness. Name the condition instead.
FAQ
Mad vs angry: what is the difference?
Angry is the standard word. Mad means angry in casual US speech, and in British English it can also mean foolish.
Mad vs crazy: are they the same?
Sometimes. Both can mean foolish (You'd be mad/crazy to go), but mad at someone is angry and crazy about means keen on.
Does crazy ever mean angry?
In some phrases, like go crazy. On its own, crazy means unreasonable, wild or keen.