物もの狂ぐるい

も

の

ぐ

る

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

noun

insanity; madness; an insane person

Refers to a state of madness or a person who is insane. Often used in literary or dramatic contexts. Can be used metaphorically for extreme obsession.

彼かれはまるで物もの狂ぐるいのように叫さけび

続つづ

け

た

。

He kept screaming like a madman.

その事じ件けんは彼かれを物もの狂ぐるいにさせた。

The incident drove him insane.

Expressions

死しに物もの狂ぐるいdesperation; frantic struggle

Kanji

物thing, object, matter
狂lunatic, insane, crazy

Related words

狂きょう気き
狂気 is a more formal and clinical term for insanity, while 物狂い has a more literary or dramatic feel and can refer to a person.
気き違ちがい
気違い is a derogatory and offensive term for a mad person, now considered a slur. 物狂い is less offensive and more literary.

Built from

物もの+狂くるう

Written forms

物もの狂ぐるいUsage76%
Standard kanji spelling.
ものぐるいUsage24%
Kana spelling is common in modern usage, especially when the kanji is considered difficult or literary.

Etymology

Compound of 物 (もの, 'thing') and 狂い (ぐるい, 'madness', the continuative form of 狂う). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it likely originally referred to being 'crazy about things' or 'driven mad by something'.