Madly
/ˈmædli/noun
In a crazy, wild, or intense manner; extremely or passionately.
Did you know?Madly comes from Old English *gemǣd* (“insane, foolish”), ultimately tied to a Germanic root meaning “to make foolish or out of one’s mind,” showing how English turned madness into a forceful intensifier.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gamaidaz
“made foolish, insane”
Old English
OE
gemǣd
“insane, foolish, mad”
Middle English
ME
mad
“insane, enraged, wildly excited”
Middle English
ME
madli
“in a mad manner”
Modern English
English
madly
“in a wild, intense, or crazy manner”