mad as a March hare

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Crazy, demented.

Register: informal

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

[S]he was with childe in hir huſbande his abſence, or that hir louer vſed hir fondly in open preſence, as the preſumption was not onely vehement, but alſo the fact too too apparent. Hir vnfortunat huſband had not ſooner notice gyuen him vpon his returne of theſe ſorowfull newes, then his fingers beg

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “mad as a March hare” mean?

Crazy, demented.

Is “mad as a March hare” formal or informal?

mad as a March hare is generally informal.