crazy-pated

adjective

Having lost one's wits; crazy, gone mad.

Meanings

adjectivecrazy-pated (comparative more crazy-pated, superlative most crazy-pated)

comparative more crazy-pated · superlative most crazy-pated

  1. Having lost one's wits; crazy, gone mad.

    Having the brain cracked or crazy, crazy-pated, impaired in intellect.

    1893, “Crack-brained”, in James A. H. Murray et al., editors, A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [Oxford English Dictionary], volume II, London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1124
    5 more examples

    The Truth is, the Scheme itſelf ſeems rather to be chimerical Plan of ſome crazy-pated Politicians, than a ſolid Project of any Men of Senſe, or in their Wits.

    1722 November 21, J. Hungerford, quotee, “The Trial of Chistopher Layer […]”, in A Collection Of the moſt Remarkable Trials of Persons […], London: […] T. Read, […], published 1735, page 88

    Old James is driving Turkeys o'er the green, / Our crazy-pated dairy-maid juſt now / Is ſcribbling o'er theſe ſenſeleſs lines to you.

    1789 November, Janet Little, “An Epistle to a Lady”, in The Poetical Works of Janet Little, the Scotch Milkmaid, Air [Ayr, Scotland]: John & Peter Wilson, published 1792, page 128

    Mrs. Wright, the wax modeller (a crazy pated genius) modelled his head, as ſhe informed me, and carried it to him under her pettycoats, in order to favor his eſcape, by the uſe of it; a thing certainly (as he was circumſtanced) not impracticable.

    1790, "ON", “Anecdote of Doctor Dodd”, in Memoirs and Anecdotes of Philip Thicknesse, Dublin: […] Graisberry and Campbell, […], page 140

    This wild and absurd story is in some measure redeemed by some traits in the character of Clara, whose firmness, plain good sense and frank affection are placed in agreeable contrast with the wild imagination, fanciful apprehensions, and extravagant affection of her crazy-pated admirer.

    1827, The Foreign Quarterly Review, London: Treuttel and Würtz […], page 97

    At nine years of age, we find her battling with a governess, who unable to discern the light, bright tints in her character, pronounces her entirely bad; a stubborn, self-willed, crazy-pated creature, to whom it was impossible to impart a rational idea; and the poor girl like many an unfortunate, misunderstood child of genius, remains unteachable, untaught.

    1848, Susanna Moodie, “Rachel Wilde, or, Trifles from the Burthen of a Life”, in Voyages: Short Narratives of Susanna Moodie, Ottawa, Paris: University of Ottawa Press, published 1991, →ISBN, page 136

Origin

Compound of crazy + pated (“having a particular type of head”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

crazy-pated. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crazy-pated

MLA

“crazy-pated.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crazy-pated. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crazy-pated,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crazy-pated.

Source: crazy-pated on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.