MAY 7, 2008 | Crazy, crazed, craze
Crazed and crazy are related in meaning, but they don't have exactly the same meaning. "Crazed" means "mentally deranged and/or obsessed" - For most native speakers of English, it has a very "aggressive" or "unstable" connotation to it, and that's why it's often paired ( = used) with nouns such as "maniac", "murderer", etc.
Crazy is a more general way of saying "mad", "insane", "abnormal", and is used in a variety of different situations. It doesn't have the same "aggressive" or "dangerous" connotation that the word "crazed" has. Colloquially, it is used in phrases such as "That's a crazy outfit", to mean "outlandish, bold, or strange".
A craze (n.) is a fad, something that is popular and that many people seem to be doing. EXAMPLES: "The low-carb diet craze", "The swing dancing craze", etc.
To be crazy about something means "to really like something a lot" EXAMPLES: "She's crazy about you!" (She really likes you), "I wasn't crazy about the first season of Dexter" (I didn't really like the first season), etc.
ESL BLOG HOME