madcap

English

Alternative forms

• mad-cap
• mad cap

Etymology

1580s, mad +‎ cap (“head”), literally “crazy head”. Original literal sense “lunatic, crazy person”, now used figuratively.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

madcap (comparative more madcap, superlative most madcap)

1. impulsive, hasty or reckless; capricious.

   The film featured a madcap car chase that went right through a crowded café.

Usage notes

Especially used for adventurous activities.

Noun

madcap (plural madcaps)

1. An impulsive, hasty, capricious person.
2. (obsolete) An insane person, a lunatic.
   • 1590s, William Shakespeare, The Life and Death of King John, Act 1, Scene 1:

     Why, what a madcap hath heaven lent us here!

References

• “Off the top.”, The Word Detective, October 28, 2005
• The Shakespearian dictionary, Smith, Elder, & co., 1832, p. 189